


Hyper Text Dragon Dating Protocol

by Capsaicin



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: (highly fictional) hacking, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dragons, M/M, MMORPG, NSFW, Prideshipping, Virtual Reality, corporate bs, past abuse/self harm, past traumatic injury
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:27:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 19,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22303366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capsaicin/pseuds/Capsaicin
Summary: [★Horus] Kaiba disappeared from the face of the earth since KC was acquired… I never thought I’d see him here, of all places.[★Horus] Does anyone want to cry? Or laugh? I know I’m about to cry from laughter…------Atem was a former professional VR gamer, retired from an injury. Kaiba was former head of a billion-dollar VR games company, laid off after his company was acquired by Doma Foundation.One year after Kaiba disappeared from public sight, Atem was livestreaming a first glance of KC’s newest VR title when he met an NPC that looked like, walked like, and sneered like the former KC CEO.>>>>>Updated to chapter 2.“…I died once. …It was cold. …Everything was torn out of my hands… I couldn’t feel anything… not even pain…”
Relationships: Atem/Kaiba Seto, Kaiba Seto/Yami Yuugi | Atem, prideshipping - Relationship
Comments: 20
Kudos: 42





	1. 502 - Bad Getaway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated E for language, heavy themes, and (naturally) smut.  
> The dragon AU plot bunny that's been haunting the back of my head for 2 years has just become my birthday present to myself :3 Happy bday to me!  
> Special thanks to [@duelmepharaoh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/captain_indigo/pseuds/duelmepharaoh), my muse, tech consultant and rubber ducky.  
> Warnings for this chapter: oversized (virtual) dragon d’s.

  
[→full res](https://kuriiiiiiiiiii.tumblr.com/post/190340541665/stop-squirming-you-imbecile-i-would-if-i-can)

【STAGE 1】502: BAD GETAWAY

【SYSTEM】 _Welcome to the world of Duelist Chronicles: Legend of the White Dragon!_

_Here are your character details._

_IGN: Dragun_ _★_ _Dic_ _★_ _Hoaruss_

_Race: Human_

_Class: Spellcaster_

_Element: Dark_

_Equipped: Sky Dragon Leather(SP) /Lightning Rapier(SP)_

【Comfirm? (Y/N)】

\-------

Atem took a second to straighten out a final piece of hair on his character. He released his cursor, allowing the prominent golden lock to bounce back and perk defiantly over his character’s head. He laughed, finally satisfied.

“This is it,” He whispered. He enlarged the Yu★Tube tab and adjusted his microphone, sitting back in his chair as his stream went live. “My people…followers…faithful devotees. It’s been a while – I hope I’ve been missed.”

The string of comments that rushed onto the screen welcomed Atem like a warm embrace.

_[xxSliffyxx] It’s our Prince!! OUR PRINCE IS BACK_

_[Obelusv] WELCOME BACK HORUS!!!!!!!!!_

_[AriseChknArise] All hail!! The champion returns!!_

_[~BrightMagicianGirl~] We missed you!!!_

_[Sage_of_Darkness] Welcome back, Horakhty._

_…_

Atem paused, the smile at his lips turning a little nostalgic at the unexpected appearance of a once familiar name. He shook his head, tucking the fleeting recollections safely into the back of his head.

“My friends… as promised, I’m going to dive right into that one game you’ve all been waiting for… KC’s biggest and newest, super rare awesome chocolaty fudge-coated mega-supertitle, as Aibou would put it,” He chuckled, hearing a faint sneeze from downstairs. “I’ve just set up my brand-new Solid Vision 2.0 headset – this design is smoking hot, by the way. I’ll look like a cyber assassin with these on.” He nudged the headset sitting at the charger on his desk. It was a sleek white visor, blue LED details shooting down the sides and a silver KC seal imprinted over one lens – twice as powerful as its predecessor for only half its weight, Atem noted.

“I got this promo key from a friend of Aibou’s who worked at KC. It comes with an awesome set of gear and exclusive character customization options – and I invite you all to admire the fruit of my past half hour of work. I think I did a rather sick job with the mod, won’t you say?” Atem gave his character a 360-degree spin, showing off the stylish leather armour accented with decorative belts and the perfectly coiffed points of his multicoloured hair. Minus the armour, his character would in fact look more or less like what he looked like in real life – though none of his fans would know that.

Atem was a deviant for his trade, having never shown his face to the world even while he was playing pro league. Fortunately, it was never a problem for him back then, and his fans certainly don’t seem to mind it now.

_[Gamma∩Warrior] Horus is always the best looking of them all!_

_[Mystic_b_ _☐_ _x] Hair on fleek as always, Boss!_

_[ChangementdeCœur] Devilishly handsome._

“Aren’t I,” Atem laughed. “Okay guys, I’m going in now, gonna be off voice until I switch into the SV internal channel. I’ll keep your comments running in my side view. See you in a bit.”

He switched off his microphone, turning to lift the Solid Vision headset out of its charging port. He took a moment to balance it in his hands. It weighed like a feather – for someone used to the far more substantial weight of its previous model.

 _If you were what I had from the start, maybe I won’t be stuck wearing this whenever I play video games…_ He slipped a finger along the edge of the collar wrapped around his neck.

 _\- Alas, no point lamenting over a minor inconvenience_. He put on the visor with practiced ease, settling in to the familiar numbness of the paralytic current running down his spine, gradually muffled by the sensations from the “other world” falling into place.

 _【_ _…This is a world of the Gods… and a world of monsters. Creatures of all hides and feathers roam the land, some fair and noble, some sly and repulsive – but all fall equal before the merciless judgement of fate. The White Dragons that once reigned supreme over the skies of Aaru have not been sighted, tooth or claw, for the past hundred years. No one knows what have become of these powerful and mysterious creatures, but legends about them still travel from ear to ear. Have they been engulfed by the all-encompassing tides of time, their magnificent husks long since crumbled to dust? Or do they reside_ _among us to this day, having abandoned their former flesh to incarnate a different form? Perhaps you – wise traveller stepping foot for the first time on this sacred land – shall be the one to bear witness to the continuation of this ancient tale…_ _】_

A dazzling sequence of animation faded away to reveal the bustling streets of a picturesque medieval town.

Atem looked down to observe the dark red armour that now clad his own body. The extent of details in the render could only be described as breathtaking – down to every elaborate twist of tooling on his breastplate and every hair on the fur trim of his gloves. He took in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of damp air after a spring shower.

“Wow. …Can you all hear me? Do you see this?”

The livestream chat rolled out in a floating window in his right visual field.

_[~BrightMagicianGirl~] Yup yup! Crystal clear, Boss!_

_[CelticGourdian] this is amazing._

Atem took a panning view of the street square before him. Weapon stores, apothecaries, restaurants… all with strange and colourful items lining their windows, players and NPCs dressed in quirky costume streaming in and out of their doors.

Atem cleared his throat. Once inside the immersive VR environment he didn’t need to speak out loud to input to the livestream chat, though this feature always took some getting used to after being away for a while.

“To be honest… I was quite worried that the dev for this game would flop,” He began slowly. “Most of you here would know that today marks one year since KC was acquired by Doma Foundation. I spent the past year getting nightmares of all kinds of shit that could have hit the fan… what good could possibly come out from a high-tech arms tycoon acquiring a video game company? …But here and now, I’m glad I’ve been proven wrong.” He spread his arms before him, drinking in the view. “We have in our hands… a work of art. …I can’t wait to start exploring.”

A window popped up in Atem’s left, interrupting his thoughts.

_[Welcome to the beautiful town of Thebes! This is your traveller’s guide, your trusty aide to get you cosy with the controls and features of this game. As your first quest, why don’t you take some time to explore this place, then treat yourself to a drink in the most popular pub in town?]_

【New Quest: Visit “The Tipsy Jabberwocky”】

“Hmm, it seems we’ve gotten our first quest.” Atem found the map in his right sidebar, easily spotting the tavern marked with a star. “Walk straight down this street to the next intersection… isn’t it?” He started down the well-weathered cobblestone path.

_[SummonedSphenoid] Ooh that skull lamp store looks cool._

_[Kuribeeee] I’m more interested in that dried tentacles store…_

“Haha, don’t worry, we’ll get around to them…” Atem took a moment from browsing around to configure an option for the livestream chat.

[★Horus] Hellooo Thebans, do you read me?

[★Horus] I put the livestream chat in a closed channel so you’d all still hear my commentary but the people I meet in the game would not. I suppose I would only be talking to NPCs at this point, but it would still be funny to have them standing there listening to me thinking aloud… oomph.

Atem stopped in his track from a dull pain to his side. He’d just bumped into someone.

[★Horus] Speak of the devil!

The character he bumped into looked up at him, bright grey eyes peering out from a wild mop of black hair. A large pink question mark popped out from the crown of his hair, flanked by a pair of small furry wings. Atem read the nametag floating overhead.

[★Horus] 【NPC】Mokie-Mokie … Hmm, cute? … I don’t meet a lot of people shorter than me these days, even in games haha… I wonder what wisdom he has to impart.

“Mokie-Mokie” gave him a cheerful smile, large grey eyes staring at him expectantly.

“Ϥⲗⲟwⲉⲣⲥ, ⲙⲓⲥⲧⲉⲣ?”

Atem blinked furiously.

[★Horus] …he said wHaT

As if answering his question, the “traveller’s guide” window popped back into view.

_[TG: The residents of the town of Thebes speak in the ancient Aaru tongue. Would you like a translation?]_

Atem mashed the “confirm” button.

[★Horus] YES PLEASE

An answering text bubble popped up beside the NPC’s nametag.

“Would you like to buy some flowers, mister?”

“…So you’re a flower merchant.” Atem finally noticed the bouquet of flowers held close to the petite merchant’s chest.

The “traveller’s guide” refreshed with a lengthy body of text.

_[Traveller’s Guide – Shopping]_

_[TG: You may purchase items in this game with gold. Other than the usual weapons, armour and potions, there are also a series of rare items with unique properties. Flowers are consumable items you can gift to other players, granting them special status effects. Why don’t you pick up the loveliest bloom suitable for the significant other you will soon meet?”]_

[★Horus] um… am I reading this right. I never knew this was a dating simulator game?

Atem’s livestream channel burst into peals of laughter.

 _[Mystic_b_ _☐_ _x] Hahahahahhah they know your single, Boss! Hottest bachelor in town_

 _[~BrightMagicianGirl~] Can I get a bouquet from you, my Prince? (_ _♥_ _ω_ _♥_ _*)_

 _[~MagiMagi~] Budge, sis, there’s a line! (_ _￣_ _A_ _￣）_ _(_ _￣_ _A_ _￣）_ _(_ _￣_ _A_ _￣）_

 _[~BrightMagicianGirl~] ∑(´_ _ﾟ_ _ω_ _ﾟ_ _｀_ _*)_

[★Horus] Okay… he doesn’t seem to want to budge… guess I’m buying flowers! Who wants one?

_[~BrightMagicianGirl~] MEMEMEMEME_

[★Horus] ❀

_[~BrightMagicianGirl~] Score!_

_[~MagiMagi~] ∑ (_ _￣_ _Д_ _￣）_

Smiling from ear to ear, Atem brought up the merchant’s inventory menu.

“Now what should I get…”

【Alpine White Rose ~50G】

【Frost River Snapdragons ~50G】

【Aaru Blue Lotus ~50G】

Atem mulled over the selection of flowers in the bouquet for a moment before catching himself.

[★Horus] Geez I was seriously thinking about what my S.O. would be like for a moment there. This dating sim is getting to me.

Still… he thought he caught the violet-blue flowers speaking to him, so he pointed to them.

“Thanks for the business, sir!”

The merchant accepted his gold coins, then disappeared with a faint crack.

Atem opened his inventory to be greeted with a rush of exotic fragrance.

“…In the sweet name of Ra _what is this_?”

 _【_ _Aaru Blue Lotus (SP): A beautiful flower born from the primordial waters, once sacred to the White Dragons. Grants Rebirth (ATK +30% / DEF +30% / HP +20/sec … who knows, they might even fall in love with you! )_ _】_

“Okay, there is definitely something wrong with this game,” Atem laughed, stowing away his inventory pouch.

He didn’t need to walk much further to get to the crossroad, easily finding the pub at the corner. A large sign featuring a fire-breathing dragon hung high over the door. Music and conversation poured out from the bustling interior.

Atem spotted a few posters on the wall close to the door. He approached them out of habit.

 _【_ _Wanted – Blue Eyes White Dragon: Last seen by travellers in the mountains to the north of town. Features – body mostly covered in pure white scales, three bony plates to the back of its head. Presumed capable of taking human form. Extremely dangerous. Approach with caution. Rewards to be paid for its capture or positive proof of its death._ _】_

[★Horus] Tens, hundreds, thousands… this fella’s head is worth 2 million gold coins? How many falafels will that buy?

Atem filed that thought away as he pushed open the swinging doors to the tavern.

“Geez, it’s pretty busy in here…” He looked around, finding a single open seat by the bar. A tall blonde man with an NPC title occupied the seat beside it.

【Visit “The Tipsy Jabberwocky”: Quest complete!】

_[TG: There seems to be an open seat by the bar. Why don’t you fix yourself a drink and swap a few stories with the patrons?_

【New Quest: Gather Intel】

Atem walked up to the bar table. The tall man looked round, violet eyes glaring him down in a chilling gaze. Atem’s eyes widened.

[★Horus] Wait… wait. Guys, does he look kind of familiar to you.

The chat went still for a beat. Then messages started shooting up like a storm.

 _[Mystic_b_ _☐_ _x] I have no idea what you’re talking about, Boss, lol._

_[AlphaUWarrior] Yeah he definitely does not look like –_

_[Beta_ _⊂_ _Warrior] – A certain huge jerk of a CEO with a villainous laugh –_

_[SilverLoupGarou] – You know, it’s not like you can recognise him with the wrong eye and hair color –_

[★Horus] I can’t believe he’d do this. But then again, what do I know about this man?

Atem couldn’t believe his eyes. Eye and hair color aside, the tall NPC looked exactly like the former KC CEO, Seto Kaiba.

[★Horus] Kaiba disappeared from the face of the earth since KC was acquired… I never thought I’d see him here, of all places.

[★Horus] Does anyone want to cry? Or laugh? I know I’m about to cry from laughter…

Atem was indeed on the verge of tears, but he knew it wasn’t entirely from amusement.

He never liked Seto Kaiba as a person – perpetually condescending, flagrantly narcissistic, his oppressive aura almost difficult to stand even from a distance or from the other side of a screen – but his dazzling talent and tremendous establishments as an inventor and entrepreneur have garnered every bit of Atem’s grudging respect.

It had been living chaos in the gaming world the first few months after KC was acquired – with the dissociation and apparent disappearance of their former figurehead and the rampant rumour of foul play behind Doma’s buyout, KC’s stocks plummeted to the ground, all its ongoing development and release plans grinding to a halt. But then, just as smoothly and unnaturally as it all started, KC began functioning again – almost like a ghost train returning to haunt its old tracks. New games were released, events were held, and by the end of the year, the updated release schedule for the second-generation Solid Vision headsets had hit the ground… it was almost like Seto Kaiba was never a necessary piece to the picture. Gamers came to accept that KC’s old visionary had simply left the company to run without him. Only a few loyalists – Atem included – clung to the belief that there were hidden events running beneath the seemingly peaceful shell – that the current situation was far from the end of line.

——If only the person before him was the real Seto Kaiba… Atem had so many questions he wanted to ask.

_[~BrightMagicianGirl~] Horus, r u okay?_

Atem came around with a start. He must have spaced out for quite a while.

[★Horus] Okay chill out, chill out… first things first. Kaiba’s an NPC now. I gotta talk to him.

He searched around for a translate dialogue option.

“Uhhh let me see … ϩⲟw ⲁⲣⲉ yⲟⲩ, ⲙⲣ. Ⲕⲁⲓⲃⲁ?”

The tall man’s icy glare turned incredulous, then quickly filled with profound contempt.

“I can speak Japanese, you know.”

[★Horus] …???? Um sir, But the tutorial in this game told me…???

_[Zombiyaaaaa] Wh-HAHAHAHAHAHA_

_[BigShovelGardener] Lollll Boss you just got Seto Kaiba’d_

[★Horus] Hush you, his name’s not Seto Kaiba. It’s…

Atem squinted at the nametag floating over his head.

[★Horus] Christian S. Rosenkreuz.

 _[Beta_ _⊂_ _Warrior] Lolll Christian Seto Rosenkreuz_

_[Gamma∩Warrior] i cant wwwwww_

Rosenkreuz’s derisive gaze never left Atem’s face. Atem returned it with his best defiant eyestab.

“Care if I sit here?”

“Suit yourself.”

Atem sat down on the bar stool. A bartender appeared immediately.

“What would it be for you, sir?”

[★Horus] … wait. Wasn’t that Japanese too?

Another roar of laughter from the chat channel. Atem decided to shoot a peremptory dirty glance to the NPC beside him, who reciprocated it with delight.

“Hit me up with a shot of…uhh…” Atem took out his purse, only to find it empty as a drum. “…Tap water?”

[★Horus] Wtf. I’m penniless.

_[RoyalGayCrasher] Lolllllll Boss you spent it all on flowerrrrrrssss_

_[MysticalSmurf] Such a romantic wwww_

_[RoyalGayCrasher] Omg Kaiba is giving you the Ultimate Beam of Contempt_

[★Horus] Well I’d be damned!

“Hmph… seems like you’re in a pinch,” Rosenkreuz said. “Have this one on me.”

Atem blinked.

[★Horus] Huh?

_[MysticalSmurf] *Whistles*_

_[BigShovelGardener] Woww… Is it just me or is Mr.CEO hitting on you?_

“Um… thank you,” Atem replied hesitantly. He skimmed down the list and chose a “Luster Dragon Mojito”.

[★Horus] All right thanks to the generosity of our new acquaintance… I’m fortunate enough to savour this acclaimed concoction sitting before me. It’s glistening like emeralds… wonder how it tastes.

Atem took a generous swig.

[★Horus] BLEH WHAT IS THIS????

[★Horus] It tastes like… liquid collagen.

[★Horus] Actually it doesn’t taste that bad, just a little funny at first…

【SYSTEM】 _Your Charm has increased to “Head-turning!” Look, there seems to be appreciating eyes trained on you already…_

Atem almost spat out his drink.

[★Horus] whAT

[★Horus] drinking that shit… increased my charm.

_[MysticalSmurf] *WHISTLES LOUDLY*_

_[~BrightMagicianGirl~] Excuse you System! My Prince has always been head-turning!_

[★Horus] I’m pretty sure the only pairs of eyes trained on me right now is the one shooting out death beams from my adjacent seat...

_[BigShovelGardener] So its not just me?_

“What could possibly be floating through that blissfully empty head of yours while you space out like this, I’d hate to ask.”

Atem was abruptly yanked back to reality by an icy remark. The tall NPC was indeed burning holes into Atem’s head with his scornful regard.

“Er… excuse me.”

“Hmph.” Rosenkreuz gave a delicately arrogant snort. “You don’t look like a tourist. What’s your business?”

Atem blinked. A dialogue box had appeared at the bottom of his screen.

[★Horus] …A cutscene.

“…I heard a White Dragon was sighted in the mountains near this town,” Atem read from the text.

“White dragon… huh.”

For the first time, Rosenkreuz turned away from Atem, opting to nurse his own drink.

“What farce… there are no more White Dragons in this blasted place. They’ve been wiped out by humans a century ago.”

“But I heard…” Atem’s eyes widened near the end of the sentence, “The last White Dragon had escaped captivity by turning into human form.”

“Is that so… then he might be in this very tavern, having a drink like the rest of us,” Rosenkreuz laughed. “Tell me, Dragun★Dic★Hoaruss, what would you do if you run into this hypothetical White Dragon?”

Atem frowned.

[★Horus] Uh. What did he just call me?

_[xxSliffyxx] lol Boss. like, your name? wwww_

_[5_ _☆_ _ladybug] like, the one written over your head_

[★Horus] um what?

Atem followed Rosenkreuz’s taunting gaze to look up at the nametag floating over his own head.

Oh snap. Forgetting an IGN he made less than an hour ago… he’s really getting old.

[★Horus] *cough* now that’s awkward

“Uh, you can call me Atem.”

For some reason, Rosenkreuz made no response to Atem’s comment, but there was a buzz of commotion in the livestream chat.

 _[Mystic_b_ _☐_ _x] Atem?_

_[MysticalSmurf] boss did u just_

Shit… double snap. Atem took a moment to realise he let slip his real name. Were his brains even equipped properly today?

[★Horus] Atum, actually… you know the ancient Egyptian creator god? Atum64 was the name I went by when I was messing around making crappy 8bit horror games back in high school haha whoops now you all know

_[SummonedSphenoid] did I hear 8bit horror games?_

_[~BrightMagicianGirl~] Waa I want to play! *commences intense Goggle search_

_[~BrightMagicianGirl~] Found one! {EXTERNAL LINK} hehe Boss’s super secret history <3_

_[Zombiyaaaaa] thanks man_

Whew, crisis averted… Atem looked back at Rosenkreuz, who had returned to drinking, eyes still trained in Atem’s direction as he awaited an answer to his previous question.

 _He’s an AI…_ Atem reminded himself. The Turing test became history after the introduction of KC’s Pharaon series AI personalities. Nowadays it’s extremely easy to engage with AI characters and treat them just like real people, but there were still occasional inconsistencies, often manually imposed, that set them apart.

_I guess part of his speech recognition functions have been disabled to comply with privacy policies. Well, that’s fortunate for me._

The tutorial window chimed in just in time to break his thoughts.

_[TG: This man seems to know something. Try giving him a response that would perk his interest.]_

【I won’t do anything. My sole wish is to see the legendary creature with my own two eyes.】

【I’d challenge them to a test of strength. Such a powerful being would make a good rival.】

【I’d make them my waifu. Who doesn’t want a dragon waifu?】

[★Horus] ?

_[AriseChknArise] OMG_

_[xxSliffyxx] PICK C PICK C PICK CCCCCCC_

_[CursedDrag00n]_ _3 lollllllll_

_[~BrightMagicianGirl~] Wait guys www that’s almost certainly not the right answer wwww_

_[xxSliffyxx] I DON CARE ITS FUNNY_

Yikes I never should have asked, Atem laughed to himself. Now he’s stuck with choosing the joke response – though he was itching to find out what would happen as well.

“I’d marry them.”

Rosenkreuz generously bathed him in the most condescending glower yet.

“Who’d go out with a tiny dweeb like you?”

【SYSTEM: Christian S. Rosenkreuz’s Affection -5】

【SYSTEM: Christian S. Rosenkreuz’s status: Hostile】

[★Horus] …????? Affection???

[★Horus] … Why hello TG my old friend, always fashionably late to the party

_[Traveller’s Guide – Character Bonds]_

_[TG: Yikes, it seems you rubbed someone the wrong way! Increasing an NPC’s Affection for you to certain levels will unlock hidden elements, such as permanent buffs and powerful items. You can change Affection levels through story dialogue or exchanging gifts. Try gifting an item to improve your companion’s mood!]_

[★Horus] I –

_[Kuribeeee] -never knew this game was a-_

_[MysticalSmurf] -dating sim_

_[Gamma∩Warrior] Lollllll RIP_

_[~BrightMagicianGirl~] Your Highness! The flowers! (_ _ﾉ_ _◕_ _ヮ_ _◕_ _)_ _ﾉ_ _❀❀❀❀❀_

[★Horus] Right, flowers!

Atem shook the bouquet of blue lotuses out of his pouch. Thanks to the logic-defying physics of the virtual world, the flowers look as radiant as if they have been freshly picked from the Nile banks.

“Here… these are for you.”

[★Horus] They’re the same colour as your eyes… or something.

_[ChangementdeCœur] Ooohhhhh Boss you’re getting the hang of it wwwwwww_

_[~BrightMagicianGirl~] My Prince Charming for you (_ _◕_ _ᴗ_ _◕_ _✿_ _)_

_[BigShovelGardener] Ohh… so you’re the one doing the hitting, Boss._

_[RoyalGayCrasher] Get ’em!!_

Atem glanced carefully at Rosenkreuz, who was staring at the flowers like they were sprouting tentacles.

“What is this… where did you get this?”

Atem blinked unintelligently. “Uhhh… they’re flowers? I bought them on the way here?”

[★Horus] and spent my entire fortune on them so you better like them, you mutherfukkr

 _[~BrightMagicianGirl~] YOU HEARD THAT MUTHERFUKKR_ _ヽ_ _(*_ _｀_ _ﾟ_ _Д´)_ _ﾉ_

_[~MagiMagi~] Going all out on the dating sim game Horus wwwwww_

“…did those bastards add a new feature? No, it has to be Mokuba… that little gremlin…”

Atem blinked again. He thought he heard Rosenkreuz muttering something under his breath, but just as he was about to ask, the taller man’s withering glare had returned to Earth with full impact.

“What do you think this is, a dating simulator?”

[★Horus] Uhhh… Yeah????

_[CursedDrag00n] HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHH_

_[Zombiyaaaaa] LOLLLLLLLLLLLL_

“…But since you offered it, I suppose it would be unbecoming for me to turn it down.”

——???

Atem watched dumbfounded as Rosenkreuz took the flowers out of his hands. They burst into a cloud of shimmering particles, casting an ethereal glow on the taller man’s sharp features before fading away.

【SYSTEM: Christian S. Rosenkreuz’s Affection +20】

【SYSTEM】 _Looks like he’s warming up to you!!_

[★Horus] ……

[★Horus] Ra could descend from heavens and tell me this is not a dating sim and I will not believe him.

“…Thank you.” Rosenkreuz said. He even supplied the thanks with the most minute of smiles.

“Huh?” Atem stuttered. “Uhh… no problem.”

“You’re an odd one,” Rosenkreuz remarked. “Most would quake at the thought of facing a monster such as this… or if they had guts worth any cents, they’d want to hunt it down. You do know the White Dragon is worth its own weight in gold, don’t you?”

[★Horus] That’ll certainly help my finances now…

_[MysticalSmurf] RIP Boss_

_[MysticalSmurf] the pauper prince_

_[GracefulCherry] †_ _┏┛_ _RIP_ _┗┓_ _†_

Rosenkreuz threw Atem another thoughtful glance, then turned back to his drink.

“Fear and greed… the two sins lying at the foundation of the human psyche. Fear for beings stronger than themselves bring people together, forming the swarm of ants that kills the elephant… then when the threat of the stronger creature no longer exists, this fear will morph without trace into the raging avarice that devours its prey until there is not a sliver of flesh left on the bones. Perhaps this innate ability to unite and conquer is what made humans – the weakest race – flourish over this land in a way other races cannot hope to compare…”

[★Horus] … Well that was unexpectedly deep.

Atem studied Rosenkreuz’s sombre profile. To be frank, he was a little distracted during the taller man’s philosophical speech, his attention inadvertently absorbed.

[★Horus] I won’t comment on that personality but…

[★Horus] He’s pretty attractive…

For a character with a dating mechanic, Rosenkreuz certainly had an agreeable face – or rather Kaiba did. Atem had never made a personal acquaintance with the CEO, nor had he taken an interest in examining his likeliness up close, but now that the man’s face was right before his eyes … violet-blue irises captivating enough to drown the unwary soul in its fathomless depths… wine-stained lips drawing out a maddeningly enticing curve… ivory cheeks tinged with an alluring flush… wait a minute, was this NPC getting drunk?

“…If you’re truly bent on finding this accursed creature, I could suggest you… nngh!”

Rosenkreuz’s features suddenly distorted, the goblet inches away from his lips falling back to hit the bar table with a thud.

 _“Those bastards… have they already found me? ——_ Look the other way, you vertically challenged idiot!”

Atem jumped.

[★Horus] What? I wasn’t ogling him that hard was I –

His confusion was cut short by a scream in the crowd.

“M-monster!!”

“It’s a dragon!! He’s – he’s the White Dragon!!”

Dragon? Where?? Atem looked back at the seat beside him, only to find it empty. Rosenkreuz was gone, his goblet overturned on the table, blood-red liquid spilling all over the counter and dripping onto the floor.

He wheeled around to find Rosenkreuz breaking for the door of the tavern. Atem realised with a start that a long dragon’s tail was dragging out from underneath the tails of his long jacket.

A loading bar jumped into Atem’s screen, blocking most of his view.

【Quest loading, please wait…】

[★Horus] Are you serious? Loading screen?? I thought these things were tales of last decade! And now of all times…

[★Horus] Bad connection?

The loading bar disappeared to reveal the fuming face of a middle-aged man with two large tufts of grey sideburns.

“Hey you there! Your friend hasn’t paid for his booze yet!”

【Quest updated】

[TG: It would be bad news if you get caught by the bar owner – he’ll force you into 20 hours of hard labour to pay for the booze you didn’t drink. Better leg it!]

【New quest: Escape the Jabberwock】

[★Horus] BY THE LOVE OF OSIRIS’S FINELY CHOPPED BITS WHAT THE F**ING-

Atem yanked back his arm just in time to narrowly miss the bar owner grabbing for it. He jumped off the bar stool and bolted for the door. He burst into the streets, throwing the muffled shouts from the crowd behind him.

“That midget! He’s with the dragon!”

“Catch them!!”

…

【Quest loading, please wait…】

【Quest updated】

[TG: Rosenkreuz headed towards the north of the town. You need to find out what he’s up to.]

【New quest: Pursue the White Dragon】

“Hey I really don’t think I should keep following this tutorial,” Atem panted breathlessly as he scraped around a corner, pulling out a good few yards from the pursuing crowd. “I think – it’s actually – hellbent on tutoring me straight into popping my KO cherry for this game…”

New messages flushed up the livestream channel almost as fast as Atem was pelting down the road.

_[Kuribeeee] BOSS!! KEEP GOING!!!_

_[AlphaUWarrior] Don’t let those bastards beat you!!_

Atem gasped.

[★Horus] I can’t believe it!! Dine and dash? When was the last time a VR game forced me to perform such extensive aerobic exercise for such a lame excuse??

[★Horus] Oh great, war flashbacks… there’s _Millenium Memories ~The Nameless Pharaoh~…_

 _Millenium Memories_ was one of the first games Atem played on livestream after creating his Yu★Tube channel, and also the origin of his fan nickname “the Prince”. As a newly crowned ancient Egyptian prince, son of Ra, embodiment of Horus, wealthiest and most important person in the land, he had to get on a horse and personally pursue a tomb robber who desecrated his father’s burials. In the same chase routine, they summoned mythical monsters at the expense of their own life force, which was where a lot of loud crying of “Your Highness!! Are you all right!!!” commenced. At the climax of the story, Atem was dropped off the side of a cliff and almost died. The best part was he survived the fall, but never lived to his formal coronation, having sacrificed himself to save the land once and for all from the evil god of plot conveniences.

[★Horus] What a game… I hated it. The producers were galaxy-brained idiots.

_[~BrightMagicianGirl~] You’re not fooling anyone, Your Highness wwww you loved that game wwww_

_[ChangementdeCœur] You were crying at the end._

[★Horus] Silence, insolent fools! They’re manly tears.

[★Horus] Is it just me or has the pursuit party just grown bigger?

Atem hazarded a glance at the crowd hot at his heels. There were a handful of NPCs, but most of them were player characters – were they all after that bounty reward?

[★Horus] Hey guys, there’s a fork road up ahead and Rosenkreuz just took the right turn. If I take the left I might lose these crazy folks…

_[Gamma∩Warrior] Good catch Boss!_

_[xxSliffyxx] NOOOO GO RIGHT GO RIGHT RGHIT_

_[~BrightMagicianGirl~] SLIFFY’S RIGHT BOSS YOU CAN’T ABANDON THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE LIKE THAAT_

_[Gamma∩Warrior] Look You’re the ones trying to kill him aren’t you!!_

As if joining the mayhem in his rogue channel, three system messages popped up in Atem’s sidebar at once.

【Current quest: Pursue the White Dragon】

【Current quest: Pursue the White Dragon】

【Current quest: Pursue the White Dragon】

[★Horus] Is this thing bugging??

_[TG: The northern part of this stranger town is a maze full of looping roads and dead alleys, but Rosenkreuz seems to know his way around. Following him would be the best idea.]_

【Current quest: Pursue the White Dragon】

[★Horus] Okay okay I get the idea!!

Atem burst into the right forkway and swept around another corner. A narrow alley with crooked houses closing in from both sides came into view, and at the other end of the long alley —— a solid brick wall.

“What the fuck??” Atem cursed aloud.

[★Horus] Did you all see that bloody tutorial say something about avoiding dead alleys? Because this bloody alley doesn’t look very much alive to me!!

“…No… not supposed to be… did they change the map? Mokuba, can you… situation?”

Atem could hear Rosenkreuz’s voice from not far ahead. At least it seems like he wasn’t the only one caught by surprise.

Rosenkreuz took one glance back at Atem, his voice turning up an angry notch. “…He followed me all the way here. Is that you messing around, Mokuba? … Never mind, just tell me if I could fly over that brick wall…”

Fly? Right, if he was a dragon…

Rosenkreuz took off his jacket, flinging it to the side. A giant pair of wings unfolded from his back.

“Holy shit,” Atem wheezed, “Are you kidding me?”

With a few powerful strokes of his wings Rosenkreuz was in the air, sending torrents of wind bursting through the narrow alley and almost knocking Atem off his feet.

_[Zombiyaaaaa] Whoa!!_

_[AriseChknArise] Hang in there Horus!_

_[SilverLoupGarou] Don’t stop running!! They’re catching up!!_

Atem came back to his senses, picking up pace and sprinting up to the other end of the long alley. He saw Rosenkreuz rising above him, reaching a 45-degree vantage over the brick wall. Then he dived, launching himself like an arrow at the space overhead. But as if hitting a transparent barrier, he crashed into the open air above the brick wall with a deafening crack, then plummeted to the ground.

Atem watched the entire exchange in horror. For a moment his head was blank, and there was only the rush of blood and primal instincts as he rushed to the dragon’s side.

“Are you okay?”

 _“You…”_ Rosenkreuz hissed.

【Channel 3 (encrypted)】[SK] Are you on livestream?

【Channel 3 (encrypted)】[SK] Shut the damn thing off!

“– What?” It took Atem a disoriented second to realise Rosenkreuz’s voice was coming out of a third voice channel in his VR interface. In the meantime, his chat panel had plunged into a state of chaos.

_[~BrightMagicianGirl~] Horus are you all right?_

_[~MagiMagi~] Your video feed just cut out_

_[xxSliffyxx] What just happened???_

_[Sage_of_Darkness] Horus Can you say something? Are you in danger?_

[★Horus] I’m all ri-

Atem wasn’t sure if he finished his last sentence before the whole channel was wiped off his display.

“Was that you?” He turned to Rosenkreuz, finding him kneeling on the ground, hand clutched over his left shoulder – or where his left shoulder should be. In its place was a bright patch of incoherent texture, blinking with static and swapping out with a different image every few seconds.

“What on earth…” Atem reached in to touch the flickering patch, only to have his hand brusquely slapped aside.

“Mind your own damn business!”

Rosenkreuz staggered as he got to his feet, wings unfurling and lifting him into the air once more.

“You… Atem, was it? Hold those rascals back.”

Atem took one look at the crowd piling into the mouth of the alleyway, promptly deciding not to linger on how the dragon told him off in the first moment, then started dishing him orders in the second. He pulled out the tutorial panel, hoping to find some clues to what to do. To his absolute horror, all that was left in the panel was a short message.

[TG: Congratulations, Traveller! You have completed your beginner’s quests. Quest rewards have been added to your inventory.]

【SYSTEM: Gold +2000G】

…Can this tutorial be any more useless? Atem had never felt so betrayed in his life. He clung to a last straw of hope as he opened his inventory pouch.

【Mooyan Curry Cup Noodles】

【Pot of Greed】

【Kuriboh Bomb】

…

_What are these crazy-looking things and what do they do??_

Atem grabbed the most promising-looking item judging by its name – what looked like a brown ball of fur. Two enormous eyes blinked open and stared back at him, almost making him jump out of his skin.

“What the hell… is this thing alive?”

“Kuri~~~” The brown furball squealed delightedly.

Stop thinking and act! Atem crossed himself and pitched the furball as hard as he can into the encroaching mob.

“KURIIIIIIIII~~~~” The brown furball flew a graceful projectile into the air before exploding into a pink cloud. Then to Atem’s amazement, dozens of identical furballs started popping out of thin air like mushrooms after a spring shower.

“KURIKURIKURIIIIIIIIIIIIII~~~~~” A chorus of curious squeals rang through the air, closely followed by the deafening cracks of more explosions and the frantic cries from the mob. The flock of furballs exploded one by one, drowning the alleyway in a cloud of dust and smoke.

 _It worked!_ Atem let out the breath he was holding, turning to find Rosenkreuz floating in midair and barking angrily at the invisible wall.

“Can’t I just leave him here? …What did you say? He’s a relative of a friend of yours? Fuck… nothing but trouble!”

Rosenkreuz landed back on the ground, storming towards Atem with murderous intent. Atem instinctively backed up a few steps, only to hit a wall.

【SYSTEM: Christian S. Rosenkreuz sent you an invitation to join his party. Accept? (Y/N)】

【SYSTEM: Congratulations! You have successfully joined Christian S. Rosenkreuz’s party】

Atem hardly had a moment to react before he found himself a dozen feet in the air, legs dangling freely underneath him. Rosenkreuz’s arms were threaded beneath his, lifting him up like picking up a cat.

“Stop squirming, you imbecile!”

 _I would if I can help it!_ Atem thought in despair. _I thought that cliff in “Millenium Memories” was the last time I had to deal with heights…_ He twisted his body to throw his arms around the dragon’s torso.

“Fuck you – where are you putting your hands – screw it! Just hold on tight.”

Rosenkreuz scaled a few more feet into the air. Then before Atem could react, he launched down once more, plunging them headfirst into the invisible barrier. They hit the barrier with another heavy thud, the invisible surface mercilessly bouncing them back.

“ _Kaiba… baby…_ can you go a little easier on me?” Atem moaned, though what came out of his mouth barely went through his head. His head was spinning in circles, barely able to tell heavens from earth. One more shake or stutter was all it would have taken for him to let go of Rosenkreuz and plunge gracefully to his death.

“Bloody hell…” Rosenkreuz cursed viciously. He pulled Atem into his arms, holding him firmly against his chest. “Happy?”

Atem wrapped his arms around the dragon’s neck, finally able to see over his shoulder. What used to be nothing but thin air above the brick wall now bore a shining crevice, glitching wildly in multiple fluorescent colours.

“I’m going to try clipping into that wall again,” Rosenkreuz said. “Could you hold on for 3 more seconds?”

“Yeah…”

Rosenkreuz climbed back to their previous altitude. Then they were plunging down again into the invisible wall.

THUD.

THUD.

CRACK—

When Rosenkreuz rammed into the barrier for the third time, there was an exploding noise like punching a hole into a sheet of tempered glass. Thousands of tiny cracks spread out from their point of impact, shooting off in every which direction, then the whole sheet of air shattered into a million pieces, revealing a dark crevice.

Without a moment of hesitation, the dragon plunged through the crevice, Atem trapped securely in his arms. The cacophonous noises from the alleyway were instantly left behind.

Blurred lights, then darkness, then even the sound and feeling of air whipping at the face fell away to nothing.

Then there was light again, and before Atem knew it they were plunging once more, this time towards the ground.

CRASH——

The dragon’s body hit the ground with the force of a boulder, smashing out a deep trench in the cobblestone road. Atem fell out of his arms, almost breaking a leg as he was flung out a few feet down the street. He thanked above that most of his body was covered in protective gear – he didn’t need to know how closely this game could simulate flesh getting torn off on all his limbs.

“Ugh…” He had to wait a good few seconds for the world to stop spinning. _I’m really getting too old for falling out of the air like this._

With some effort he got to his feet to survey his surroundings. They were in a narrow alley not unlike the one they just left, but not a single sound was to be heard in the vicinity.

Rosenkreuz lay lifelessly near one of the crooked houses. Atem quickly made to approach him.

“Hey…are you all right? Can you hear me?”

Atem was inches away from touching the dragon when a blast of air sent him flying back, hitting the ground with a painful thud.

“…Don’t touch me.”

 _Bloody hell, that hurt!_ Atem glanced ruefully at his HP bar, which plunged under the halfway point after taking the last hit.

Rosenkreuz dragged himself up to sit against a nearby wall. He was arguably in a much worse condition than Atem, as he didn’t have a single piece of armour equipped. His shirt was in tatters, deep bloody gashes showing from underneath. But these gashes were stitching themselves together at visible speed, and the HP bar over the dragon’s head was also slowly replenishing.

Was this the effect of that funny bouquet from earlier? Judging from the circumstances, Atem reckoned Rosenkreuz was in a stable condition. But this didn’t prevent him from approaching him again.

“Hey… answer me. Do you feel dizzy? Headache? Nausea?”

The virtual reality engine the game was built on had multiple rigorous security standards that should in principle prevent any physical harm to the player in real life, but overly vivid stimulation from the immersive environment may still cause sensory overload in susceptible individuals, with extreme cases requiring hospitalization and intensive medical care. For this reason, Atem always kept a vigilant eye on the physical conditions of himself as well as his companions.

However, the dragon didn’t seem to appreciate his solicitude at all.

“Could you… quit acting like I’m a live person?”

Atem laughed. This was actually funny.

“You can drop the act. Do you still expect me to believe you’re an NPC or something?”

“Of course,” Rosenkreuz waved a hand at the NPC tag floating over his head. “Can’t you read?”

“Just can it.”

Atem stood up and walked straight up to the dragon, for once towering over his form.

“Who are you? A hacker? What are you trying to do?”

“Who am I… you already have a pretty good idea, don’t you?”

Rosenkreuz ran a hand through his hair. The golden strands turned chestnut brown beneath his fingers. He looked up at Atem. The eyes casting their frigid gaze at Atem were no longer violet, but a crystalline blue.

Atem’s eyes widened.

“You can’t be serious.” He laughed, incredulous. “Are you trying to tell me you’re Seto Kaiba all along?”

“In the flesh… or whatever’s closest to flesh in this blasted world,” The man grunted. “After all, the darkest place is always under the candle.”

“Fine, assuming you’re telling the truth. What are you doing here, prancing around your own game in a rigged account? Surely you’re not telling me you’re masquerading as an NPC just for fun?”

Kaiba was silent for a moment. Then he made a gesture, and a chat window popped up on Atem’s display. Atem’s eyes widened again at the person who showed up at the other end. It was the flower merchant he met earlier, minus the comical question mark and plush wings.

“Niisama!! Are you all right? I saw you entering the system restricted area – oh hey there, you must be Yugi’s big bro! Are both of you ok?”

“Yugi… you know my brother?”

“I’m Mokuba Kaiba,” The raven-haired boy gave Atem a mischievous wink. “The promo key you used was from me. Thanks for taking care of my big bro!”

“This little poltergeist rigged your tutorial and made you follow me when he saw me get into trouble,” Kaiba scowled.

“Well the plan worked perfectly, didn’t it? You won’t be here if Atem-nii didn’t step in!”

“Hmph!”

“You haven’t answered my question yet,” Atem interrupted. “What on Earth are you two up to?”

“Why should I tell you? And what can you do about it anyway?” Kaiba eyed Atem maliciously, the all-too-familiar derisive sneer returning to his lips, “You’re a Lv1 character, you know. I can crush you like an insect.”

“What I can do is a different story and of no consequence to what we’re discussing here!” Atem snarled. “Listen… it seems like you two are Yugi’s acquaintances. If you used him, I will never forgive you. But if you’re really his friends as you seem to suggest… I trust you won’t do a bad thing without a good reason.

Kaiba snorted. “Can you hear yourself talking, all the ‘friendship’ and ‘good’ and ‘bad’ … what is this, kindergarten? Besides, it’s Mokuba who’s friends with your brother, none of my business…”

_“Niisama!”_

Atem recognised Mokuba’s expression. It was the same puppy eyes that scammed him out of his entire fortune not long ago.

“Niisama…” Mokuba’s grey eyes were stark with sincerity. “He has the right to know.”

“Tch!” Kaiba obviously didn’t have immunity to Mokuba’s puppy eyes attack either. “Fine…”

“To start it off… you know Doma pulled a hostile takeover on us, right?” Mokuba said.

Atem nodded. “I heard rumours.”

“They’re true. …Even the most absurd ones can’t get uglier than reality. Doma wanted the technology in our Solid Vision system, among many things, and they would stop at nothing. And as you probably know, Niisama would have nothing to do with an arms magnate like themselves… the clash was inevitable.

“Niisama saw through Doma’s plans and thought we could counter them, but when it all came down… we were powerless. Our shareholders were blackmailed, our stocks were manipulated, even the government was involved… we didn’t stand a chance.

“Niisama’s last resort was pulling the crown jewel – removing himself from the company – but as you can see, even that had little effect. As ridiculous as it may sound, Doma wasn’t interested in preserving KC’s market value at all... that made them invincible to any market tactics.”

Atem looked down at Kaiba. The former CEO’s head was hung, brown fringes casting a dark shadow over his eyes.

“So… here you are now, planning your revenge? …From a video game?”

“Nah, nothing that complicated,” Mokuba stuck out his tongue. “As you may suspect, being laid off is excruciatingly boring. Niisama had no choice but to devote his excessive energy on playing games.”

“Won’t you quit with the joking around, Mokuba?” Kaiba snapped. Atem noticed his voice sounded throatier than just moments ago – he wondered if the man was getting frustrated.

“I’m sorry, Seto…” Mokuba made a decidedly unapologetic face, but the seriousness returned as he continued.

“We received a tip that Doma was running illegal weapon experiments… something that would get them in big trouble if the story leaks out. Now won’t that be a great chance for us to turn the tables?” He gave a small smirk. “But to gain any leverage we would need solid intel… lots of them… and the only realistic way to get our hands on a big chunk of this pretty commodity is hacking into the main servers of Doma Foundation.”

“The Orichalcos…” Even Atem had heard a thing or two about Doma’s famous servers. “Noone’s been able to hack them before. They’re impenetrable.”

“Not anymore,” Mokuba grinned mysteriously. “…Not after they hooked up to KC’s servers.”

“We left backdoors all over KC’s servers, dating back long before Doma expressed interest in us,” Kaiba said, “…as a precaution for the unlikely circumstance KC falls out of our hands. Doma isn’t remotely the first to covet on my company… though none of them had actually succeeded in taking it so far.”

“Of course, Doma wouldn’t miss the possibility of backdoors. But no matter how thoroughly they scan, there’s bound to be fish escaping the net,” Mokuba continued. “And one of them – wait for it – is inside this very game.

“ _Legend of the White Dragon_ runs on its own set of servers, but all user information is stored in the crystal cloud back at KC HQ. We can easily hide our access trace inside the regular data flow between the KC servers and the game.”

“As a matter of fact, we’re inside KC’s servers this very moment,” Kaiba said. “This a recovery module on the backup OS, so regular scans won’t reach this area… serves as a safe room for our purpose. Thousands of these “safe rooms” are scattered throughout the KC mainframe… what we need to do now is to connect them into an infiltration route to the KC root kernel. Then from there… we find the bridge into the Orichalcos core.”

“Like phantom thieves infiltrating the mental palaces of bad guys and stealing their hearts in that classic video game!” Mokuba flashed a victory sign.

“We’ll take back what’s ours and bring Doma their reckoning…” Kaiba said. A flash of mad conviction fled across the depths of his cerulean eyes, lighting them up like a flame.

Atem was speechless. In the past few months he had never stopped wondering what had become of the missing KC CEO, what he could be doing – whether he was biding his time, staging an elaborate comeback like one of his always epic keynote events... But what he had just heard make even his wildest surmises pale in comparison.

“Well storytime’s over,” Kaiba sneered, turning to Atem. “Now pray tell, O Noble Knight of Justice, do you have any thoughts to share?”

Atem mulled over his words. “…You can’t possibly expect me to eat it all up on the get-go,” He finally said.

“Hmph,” Kaiba shrugged. “Believe what you will.”

“But if any of this is true… the pain of being robbed of something you poured your soul into, watching it get torn apart before your eyes… it must not have been easy for you to shoulder this burden and come to where you are today.”

The ghost of a smile vanished from Kaiba’s face.

“…I don’t need your worthless pity,” He hissed.

“If you don’t need it, you’re free to toss it out the window,” Atem said smoothly. “But if there’s anywhere I can be of use… I’m willing to lend my hand.”

Kaiba looked unimpressed. “Do you yourself have any idea what use you could be?”

“Oh, this is a game,” Atem smirked, “and I may not look it, but I’m a pretty hardcore gamer.”

“Hmph...” Kaiba had the grace to look entertained.

“Well, right now we’re still in the same party, and I assume you are the captain. What’s our next move?”

“My cover got busted earlier, so it’s probably best to log off and regroup for the time being. We just need to wait for a safe opportunity to leave the recovery module… what is it, Mokuba? Something coming up on your end?”

“——I’ll need to cut our communication for a bit, Seto,” Mokuba’s face bobbed off the screen for a few seconds before coming back. “The regular server scans are almost reaching my sector, I can’t have them finding out I’m connecting with you. I’ll contact you when I’ve secured your log-off route.”

“I’ll leave it to you. Stay safe, Mokuba.”

Mokuba gave a thumbs up, then his chat window popped out of existence.

The empty alleyway fell into a brief silence.

“Ugh…” Kaiba suddenly doubled over, as if in pain. He shuffled his wings, wrapping himself in a cocoon.

“Kaiba! …What’s wrong?” Atem rushed over, kneeling to take a closer look. “– Your face is all red!”

He didn’t get surprised with another air blast this time, but instead Kaiba gave him a rude push that sent him teetering to the side.

“Don’t give me your bloody shit now, Seto Kaiba!” Atem snapped, “Let me take a fucking look!”

“…You’re really an odd one, aren’t you? … Until just now you had no idea who I was, what I wanted – hell, you didn’t even know if I were human at all… yet you’re still brooding me like a mother hen… why the hell do you care?”

“I’m the one asking the questions here!” Atem growled, reaching in and touch Kaiba’s flushed cheeks despite his objections. They were searing. “ _Answer me,_ do you know what’s wrong with you, any idea at all?”

“Really… nothing for you to fret your feathers over…” Kaiba panted, insistently trying to shield himself with his wings. “Heh… just a random feature I decided to throw in during development… naturally never expected it to come back and bite me in the ass… Those drinks I had in the tavern… one of them was drugged… laid me a debuff… other than forcing me to start transforming… hah…” He grabbed Atem’s hand and held it still, then brusquely wiped his own face with his other hand. “To put it simply… I’m in heat now.”

“Wait… you were feeling sick even before we got here?” Atem asked. – Did he hide his condition all this time they were talking, just so his brother won’t get worried about him?

 _“…That’s why I told you not to touch me,”_ Kaiba grunted. “God… do you have any idea… just breathing in your smell now makes me want to pin you to the ground and fuck the insides out of you.”

Atem shivered. Does that mean earlier when they were breaking through the wall, when he and Kaiba was all but a tangled mess … Kaiba could have easily snapped and took him right then and there?

“The debuff should go away by itself in another ten twenty minutes… ugh… I hope it happens before Mokuba calls back…”

“…Is there any way to push it along a bit?”

“Push it along?” Kaiba gave a bark of laughter that twisted up to an unusually high pitch. “Sure… why don’t you let me fuck you?”

“…Then so be it.”

“…Excuse me?”

Atem could clearly feel the blood rushing up to his cheeks. He’ll regret this later… but not now. “I promised I’d lend a hand.”

Kaiba laughed again. “… I kind of expected to get a _hand_ from you, not your whole body…”

“I’m serious! Tell me, Kaiba, would having sex with me solve your problem?”

 _“Of course it’ll solve my problem!”_ Kaiba exploded, covering his face in exasperation. “…Listen, Atem… I’ll be serious with you too. This may be the virtual world, but if we engaged in sexual intercourse here, there will be consequences and an aftermath, just like if we fucked in the real world. It’s not a game anymore, do you understand?”

“I do,” Atem replied. Once the initial rush of blood had flown past his ears, he felt unnaturally calm – almost zen. “We’re both adults, Kaiba. I’ll let you make the call. Do we do it or not?”

Kaiba threw his head back, defeated. “…I just…don’t understand. How could you be so chill with this?”

“You sound like you’ve never been laid in the virtual world before,” Atem smirked provokingly.

Kaiba groaned. “I haven’t. Please go easy on me.”

“You know what… that makes two of us.”

——Atem was glad this was a game, where he could unequip all his gear with a single command. It would have been quite excruciating to take off all the leather belts on him one by one.

He unequipped his armour, leaving only his pants and undershirt.

He turned his attention to Kaiba’s crotch.

“…May I?”

“Suit yourself.”

Atem undid Kaiba’s belt and pulled down his trousers. He swallowed hard at the subsequent sight.

A sly smile wound its way to Kaiba’s lips. “How about it? How does it compare to your own Dragun Dic?”

“This is not remotely a human size…” Atem stammered. Wait, he’s indeed not a human right now…

It could have easily been as thick as Atem’s wrists… or thicker… tinted hood gathering into an angular tip, curved shaft lined on the underside with a tantalizing set of ridges and swelling into a subtle knot at the base, poised imposingly over two heavy sacs… The impressive member was already engorged, and Atem watched in abject horror as it swelled another size right before his eyes. _Am I about to lose my virtual virginity to this… monster? That might just be a tad too exciting for a first time…_

“Hmph… you should be honoured. A chance to mate with a dragon doesn’t come by every day, you know,” Kaiba smirked. “Are you chickening out?”

“Don’t you underestimate me!” Fuelled by a rush of indignance, Atem threw a leg over Kaiba’s hips, straddling him. A strong shiver wracked his body when he pressed flush against the imposing member. _Geez… is it really too late to chicken out now?_

“Wait, wait, Atem —— hear me out for a sec. Please.” Kaiba pressed down firmly on Atem’s shoulders, holding him back. “Look, don’t push yourself. I’ll be fine. If you don’t want to do it anymore, we can stop.”

Atem looked up at Kaiba’s face. His eyes were hooded, his cheeks flushed a drunken red, looking even more feverish than just a few moments ago.

_Look who’s pushing himself here…_

“Atem… are you listening?”

“I’d say you shut up for once, will you?”

Atem brushed off Kaiba’s hands, easily closing their distance. Hands cupping Kaiba’s cheeks, he leaned in to seal the brunette’s incessant lips once and for all.

_“Mmph…”_

Kaiba met his eyes as they parted. His pupils were dilated, the crisp blues of his irises now clouded over by a dense mist. His kiss-swollen lips were damp and slightly parted, breath fluttering out from between them in shallow pants.

 _I guess I’ve fallen in love with this asshole,_ Atem thought. He traced his fingers along Kaiba’s jaw, then down his neck, pushing away the tattered fabric of his shirt to follow the flowing lines of muscle on his chest and stomach, streaked through by the gashes from his earlier injuries that had already healed into faint white scars. _How did I only just realise this man is so fucking beautiful?_ Atem knew as a fact that none of this detail was exaggerated - Kaiba had never hesitated to flaunt his physical assets in real life, his signature skin-tight turtlenecks and form-fitting pants hugging the lean and athletic body that was no doubt the subject of many a fangirl’s dreams _. Come to think of it, I might have always found this bastard attractive. I just never noticed because of that enormous ego that demolishes your attention for anything else…_

Atem kicked off his boots, then stripped out of his pants and tossed them aside.

Kaiba gave Atem’s crotch a meaningful glance. Somehow, he managed to look cocky even in his visibly compromised state.

“…Heh.”

Atem snapped.

 _Don’t you start!_ He rushed to capture Kaiba’s lips again before they can produce some conceited retort.

Kaiba settled for passing his hands to Atem’s back, slowly massaging the lobes of his buttocks. Atem hooked his arms around Kaiba’s shoulders, releasing himself to melt into Kaiba’s embrace.

_Aren’t dragons supposed to be cold-blooded? Then why are you so warm…?_

“Hey… Atem. Do you have anything on you we can use as a lubricant? Something like a recovery potion should do.”

“Huh? …Right, let me have a look.” Shaken out of another trance, Atem sat up and brought out his inventory. He immediately noticed an item labelled 【That’s right, I’m lube❤】

Kaiba squinted suspiciously at the small vial in Atem’s hands. “…Now where did you get _this_?”

“I bought it in a store on my way…” Atem lied smoothly. _It’s probably best to keep Big Brother in the dark about certain things…_

Kaiba popped open the stopper and poured some liquid onto his palm. He tapped Atem’s shoulder with the back of his hand, and Atem threaded his arms back around Kaiba’s neck as he spread himself out over Kaiba’s body. He felt Kaiba’s warm fingers stroke up his thighs, slipping into the crack of his ass.

“Nng…mmph!” Atem flinched at the sensation of a foreign object forcing past his entrance. He buried his face under Kaiba’s jaw, panting as he tried his best to relax.

“Does it hurt? Should I slow down?” Kaiba’s throaty rasp sent another shiver down Atem’s spine.

“…No… keep going…”

“If it hurts don’t keep it in, say something.”

“……” If it were any other circumstance Atem would likely be flattered at the unprecedented attentiveness Kaiba was suddenly displaying, but at the very moment all Atem could feel was the blood rushing up to his cheeks with renewed vigour. “Just… get on with it… do you want to fuck me before the day’s out?”

“…Aren’t we awfully eager here… you just can’t wait for me to fuck you, hm?” Kaiba chuckled into Atem’s ear.

—— _Gods, I can’t stand it._ Sometimes it gets really hard to decide whether Atem wanted to get laid by this man or give him a hook in the face.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to spend too much time mulling over his options. The two fingers in his backside soon turned to three, then four, and Atem was reduced to a panting mess.

“…I think that’s enough, Kaiba…” It really won’t do if he cummed just from getting fingered, Atem thought – Kaiba won’t let him live it down.

“Hmm, you’re that kind of gamer who comes out of a tutorial and makes a beeline for the ‘impossible’ quest, aren’t you?”

“Just shut it, won’t you? I don’t know about you, but I want to beat this level before we both die of old age…” Atem pushed back, allowing himself a good look at Kaiba’s face. The bastard still had that irritating smile playing at the edge of his lips, but his eyes were pinned on Atem like a starving beast eyeing down its meal.

_Why don’t you quit acting like I’m the only thirsty one here when you’re obviously also at your limit?_

Atem’s hand found its way to Kaiba’s impressive asset, giving it a firm stroke. He was pleased to see Kaiba suck in a sharp breath, composure shattering to pieces. _…Cute._

“Are you ready to be conquered? Blue Eyes White Dragon.” He lifted Kaiba’s chin with the tip of his finger.

“Hmm…” Kaiba’s hand slipped under the hem of Atem’s shirt, moist fingertips running down Atem’s spine all the way from the back of his neck down to his sacrum. “Perhaps we should call you ‘Dragon Rider’ from now on…”

Atem held Kaiba’s jaw, forcing their lips together for a third time.

“Mm…”

Riding on the thrill of finally bringing Kaiba to silence, Atem grasped Kaiba’s member, guiding it to his own entrance. He closed his eyes, letting gravity carry him through the final distance.

“Nggh! – Haah—”

——Atem realised no matter how much mental exercises he performed beforehand, he could never be prepared for this. He felt exactly like a newbie character thrown into a HL dungeon, finding himself face to face with the fire-breathing boss.

He could vividly feel the monstrous weapon splitting him apart, carving ruthlessly into his insides. Tears welled up in his eyes as he broke their kiss, gasping for breath.

“Aah… it hurts... aahhhh…” He choked back a sob, vaguely registering the flustered expression crossing Kaiba’s face. Then the excruciating pain easily crushed all his coherent thoughts.

“Ngh – _AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!”_ Before he knew it, a scream had torn its way out of his throat.

Kaiba’s face had turned ashen, obviously taken aback by Atem’s scream. For a moment it looked like he didn’t even know where to put his hands.

Atem gasped. The pain in his rear end was still very real, but the outburst seemed to have taken out some of the steam filling up his skull, enough for him to find the situation amusing.

“…Kaiba – hah… I’m pretty sure our models clipped there…” He wheezed.

He watched Kaiba’s expression switch from shock to confusion, then to abject horror. _“Fuck…”_ Kaiba swore under his breath, “Are you okay?” His hands fumbled around Atem’s hips, pulling him in.

“Nggh… yeah… haha – you’re just a tad too big…” Atem choked, resting his weight on Kaiba’s chest. His shoulders shook with fitful laughter as tears streamed down his cheeks. “Fuck does it hurt…”

 _“You madman…”_ Kaiba hissed, finally regaining some form of composure. “Hold still while I heal you, okay?”

“Heal? Ahhh… sure, hit me up…”

Atem felt Kaiba’s hands fall on the small of his back, then the warm tingle of what must have been a healing skill spread through his lower body. Then, like a miracle, the searing pain receded like an ebbing tide, until all that was left was a dull throb.

 _Fuck… anything goes in a game, doesn’t it?_ Atem laughed in disbelief.

“Did I almost get a free trip back to town center…”

“Nonsense!” Kaiba snapped. “…Are you feeling any better?”

“Yeah… thanks…”

“You’re reckless, you know that?”

“Didn’t expect to hear it from you, of all people…”

“…Hmph, I should have left you at critical so you won’t get so cocky…”

“Trust me, when it comes to cockiness you’re the king around here, Lord Dragon…” Atem breathed, bringing his hands up to rest on Kaiba’s shoulders. “You can bring on the next wave now, big boy. I’m ready.”

“Wait – _fuck_ , take it easy, will you…” Kaiba swore. “Listen - if you kill yourself again I’m not going to revive you.”

“Whose fault do you think it would be other than your enormous prick, you enormous prick…” Atem chortled. He looked down, a chill running down his spine when he realised after all that commotion, he had only taken in half of Kaiba’s member. He closed his eyes, letting out a shaky gasp as he lifted himself up, feeling his insides tangle on the thick shaft as it retreated. Then he started rocking his hips, gently fucking himself on the tip of the member.

“Nghhh….”

… It was like a taste of forbidden fruit. The stark discomfort of a foreign object penetrating his body gradually faded away, only to be replaced by a slew of new sensations. The blunt push of the thick head pressing deeper and deeper into his orifice, the chorus of small thrills that erupted whenever the raised ridges on the shaft dragged past his rim … even the humiliation of being _ploughed_ by this obscene object, the vague recognition that he’s being bred on it just like a rutting female animal… every last dirty, vulgar thought and feeling fed to the strange, maddening pleasure building up at the base of his spine, slowly driving him into an intoxicated haze.

He looked up at Kaiba, taking in the delicious blush that had spread from his cheeks all the way to the tips of his ears.

“Does it feel good?”

“Mmph…” Kaiba creased his brows, parting his lips only to utter a few incoherent syllables.

Atem gave his member a firm squeeze, an impish smile creeping to his lips. _“Answer me.”_

Kaiba let out a shaky breath. _“…Fuck you.”_

“Mm… _yes, come fuck me.”_ Atem passed his tongue over his bottom lip, making a point to see that Kaiba followed the motion with his eyes.

 _“You little devil…”_ Kaiba pulled Atem in and they kissed again, this time battling with tongue and teeth. Kaiba’s hands slipped down to hold Atem’s hips, and Atem reached down with his free hand to stroke his own member, soon feeling his palm getting wet with precum.

“You’re different… So tiny, but somehow you just make my blood boil…” A smile floated to Kaiba’s lips once he saw he had Atem’s attention. “Who would’ve thought you were a succubus…”

“Haah… and who would have thought you were a horny monster with a giant cock…” Atem laughed. “Speaking which… this game can’t be designed for what we’re doing now, can it? Yet we haven’t ran into a single glitch so far… makes me wonder …”

“This is nothing out of the ordinary,” Kaiba raised his voice in indignance. “KC doesn’t make games that randomly break from an edge case. Every algorithm in this game is painstakingly proofed to run smoothly while simulating any reasonable human interactions, which naturally would include ones such as this…”

“Then I must congratulate you on doing an excellent job…” Atem said slowly, “…because getting bred by your hot meat feels very, very good, Mr. Dragon.”

“… _Fuck_ …” Kaiba’s eyes abruptly darkened to the shade of ink, sending another thrill down Atem’s spine. _“…I’m going to breed you until you’re pregnant with my whelps…”_

All of a sudden the world spun, and the next moment Atem’s back was against the wall, his weight perched precariously in Kaiba’s arms and his legs dangling in midair. He hurried to throw his arms around Kaiba’s neck and wrap his legs around his waist. He gasped as Kaiba’s member sank into him, ploughing him open until he could feel the dull stretch of the knot pressing against his entrance.

_“Aahh…!!!”_

Kaiba didn’t wait to start thrusting, jerking Atem’s body up and down in his arms, handling him as effortlessly as handling a doll. Atem was trapped between Kaiba and the wall, the dragon’s every thrust penetrating all the way to his core. He choked at the sudden hallucination that the thick member was pushing out of his throat.

_“Nggh… Kaiba… aahh… you’re – so deep…aahhh…”_

Kaiba spread his wings, instantly occluding the small patch of sky overhead the narrow alley and casting Atem into the shadows.

 _This dragon has made me his prize…_ Atem thought confusedly. _He’ll take me to his lair… breed me repeatedly until I’m filled with his seed… my flesh body will become a vessel for fulfilling his desires… but that won’t be bad, if it feels so good…_

 _“Tell me,”_ Kaiba breathed hotly into Atem’s ear, _“Do you like getting bred like this?”_

“Aahh… _yes_ … it feels… good…” Atem could hardly recognise his own voice. He could only feel the sinful thrill as he threw back his head to moan and beg, pleading the dragon to ravage his body with more waves of intoxicating pleasure. _“Aahh… Kaiba… please… fuck me… harder… it feels so good… yes… fuck me… please…”_

As if responding to his pleads, Kaiba abruptly picked up pace, ramming Atem into the wall until he could barely catch his breath. Then Atem felt something thin and hard sweep across his backside, its slender point finding its way up to his hole. His muddled brain sluggishly pieced together one and two… it was the tip of Kaiba’s tail. The slender appendage pushed firmly into his entrance, mercilessly penetrating him alongside the thick member, making Atem scream with abandon.

_“Kaiba! Aahhhh… I’m going to break! Please… AAHHHHH… KAIBA…”_

_“You’re so beautiful, Atem… do you know that?”_ Kaiba whispered. Atem felt Kaiba’s lips on his neck, teeth grazing the skin of his throat with every syllable. _“So beautiful I want to break you…”_

“Nggh… _Aahhh!!!”_

Atem climaxed to the sight of a bright flame pouring from the giant jaws of a dragon, devouring his body and flooding his vision with blinding light. The white radiance thinned and scattered like snowflakes, then as they cleared away, he saw the milky ropes of his own semen splashing on his trembling thighs. A soft moan escaped his lips as he felt a viscous warmth shooting through his insides, filling him until he could take no more.

Kaiba’s kisses fell on his neck and shoulder like a gentle spring shower. Atem was held safely in his embrace as he sat down to rest against the wall.

“…Thank you.”

“…Hm?” Atem blinked slowly. He thought he heard something incredibly rare coming from the brunette, and for the second time that day, but his still foggy reasoning couldn’t quite piece together what made it so special. “…You feel any better, Kaiba?”

“…Hmph. I’ve never felt so fine in my life.”

Atem realised he could do many preposterous things for this man, if just to see the same affectionate smile grace his lips again.

They clung to each other for a while, resting in the tranquil warmth of their embrace. Then Atem finally made to get up, pulling off Kaiba’s member with some reluctance. The sudden rush of liquid flowing out of his orifice made him shiver with a renewed thrill of excitement.

“So much juice…” Atem giggled as he dabbed his finger in the milky liquid, bringing it up to his lips to lick it clean. He sucked delicately at the tip of his damp digit, savouring the bitter taste spreading over his tongue, relishing in Kaiba’s captivated gaze following his every move.

“…You even added the taste of semen to the database…” His lips curved in amusement as Kaiba’s face turned beet red.

“…When you’re stuck in the server room debugging code in the dead of night you have to do something to keep yourself sane,” Kaiba muttered.

“Is that so?” Atem smiled impishly. “…What was that sound? Did you get a message?”

Kaiba turned up his chat record, his face promptly turning green. “…It’s Mokuba! … Dammit, _get dressed_!”

“Huh? …Right!” Atem fumbled to pick up the clothes scattered at their feet.

“Menu > Equipment! Did your brains get fucked out?”

 _“Fuck you!”_ Atem shot back, but promptly proceeded to straighten out his attire from the menu. Kaiba connected the call the moment he was done.

“—— _Niisama!_ Are you guys alright? I couldn’t get to you for the past two minutes and you weren’t replying to my messages. You got me so worried!”

“We’re fine. What’s the situation on your end?”

“Scheme D all set and ready to go! Once you exit the recovery module you can log off from port C-256. I’ll open the portal on your green light.”

“Hahaha… as expected from my little brother! Proceed with the plan.”

“Got it!”

Mokuba’s chat window flickered and cut out. Then the ground before them shook with a deafening rumble, sending debris scattering in every direction. A rectangular portal appeared out of thin air, hovering a few inches above ground at the dead center of the alleyway, glowing radiantly with prismatic light.

“Let’s go.” Kaiba stood up, offering his hand to Atem.

“Wait…” Atem shook his head in confusion, “Are we going to just waltz back into the game? Won’t you get tracked down right away?”

“No need to fret your feathers,” Kaiba laughed. “The moment we exit the recovery module, approximately two thousand Christian S. Rosenkreuz’s will refresh simultaneously onto the map. They can take their time figuring out which of them is me while they sort out their overloaded servers.”

 _Getting a DDoS attack on a world-class MMORPG server ready in a matter of minutes… I’m glad I never considered making an enemy out of these two brothers,_ Atem shivered.

“…It was a pleasure today,” Kaiba gave Atem a pointed look. “Let’s have another in the real world… if you don’t mind.”

“Hmph, I’d like to see how big you are on the other side…” Atem took Kaiba’s hand with a smile. They walked side by side into the portal, their figures disappearing into the light.

\------

【STAGE CLEAR】

Battles: 1

Eliminated enemies: 0

Skill: B

Damage: A

Final results: A

Exp +3000

Gold +3000

【LEVEL UP！】

HP and MP have been restored!

Unlocked character: Mokuba Kaiba (Bond Lv1 · Affection 60/100)

Unlocked character: Seto Kaiba (Bond Lv2 · Affection 65/???)

【PRESS ANYWHERE TO CONTINUE】

\------

【Traveller’s Guide – Appendix (1)】

Nano Immersion Virtual Reality (NIVR): A revolutionary game technology pioneered by Industrial Illusions (I2). It allows users to experience a fully immersive game environment, with visuals, sound, touch and smell presented seamlessly through a nanomachine-powered brain-computer interface. The same interface captures speech and motor commands directly from the brain to control character actions. The original I2 NIVR system used full body pods, making them available only in dedicated I2 facilities as well as a handful of high-end VR game centres. KC Games greatly advanced the NIVR scene by developing increasingly lightweight client end hardware. Duelist Kingdom, a KC-I2 joint project, featured fully portable Solid Vision headsets as standalone client consoles. The game swept the market by storm, and within a year of its release I2 was already hosting widely attended professional championship tournaments in multiple countries and regions.

Duelist Kingdom (DK) pro league: As in all NIVR games, DK character action control relies on input captured directly from the brain’s motor cortex. Therefore, a character’s peak potential often hinges on its player’s real-world physical abilities. Pro league gamers are usually physically athletic and undergo intensive training routines tailored to their characters’ individual playing styles. They are also required to have a relatively high compatibility with the NIVR BCI, something that can be improved with professional training.

Duelist Chronicles ~Legend of the White Dragon~ (LWD): Latest NIVR title from KC set for exclusive release with the second-generation Solid Vision headsets. This new and more economic SV console is optimized for home gaming, readily accessible to casual gamers with low/mid-range budget. The game released exactly a year after KC was acquired by Doma Foundation, a giant financial conglomerate mainly involved in IT and high-tech weaponry industries. Rumour says Doma used government ties to forcibly acquire KC, aiming to use their state-of-the-art VR technology on weapon development.


	2. 403-Frostbitten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: descriptions of past trauma/abuse/self harm

“Xolotl to Horakhty – Whats the view like up there, boss man?”

“Beautiful… I can see everything.”

Atem crouched down on one knee, gazing down at the dizzying heights unfolding at his feet. The average player wouldn’t even hazard the thought of scaling the set of thin ledges leading up to this cliff – but he was no average player.

He surveyed the small patch of forest lining the edge of the cliff, noting his teammates positioned within the shrubbery, and the enemy team approaching from the rocky terrain on the other side. His eyes combed through the strip of map where the two teams would encounter, filing every branch and boulder and lining them up into several possible trajectories of events.

He smiled.

The game was on.

“Xolotl, move three squares forward, prepare to engage Mjolnir and Balmung at eleven o’clock. Seiten Taisei, fork to the right and take out a familiar from Laevateinn. Laevateinn herself is five squares behind. Laverna, stay concealed and ambush Skofnung at twelve. Anzu, keep Laverna covered and heal her up. As for the leader… I’ll have a little chat with Gungnir myself.”

“Got it, Boss!”

“Roger that!”

“Fortunes be with you, Horakhty.”

“Let’s get ’em, team!”

Atem stood up, taking a few steps back from the edge of the cliff. Then with a small starting run, he leapt off the edge, launching himself gracefully at the treetops below.

Air rushed past his face, catching in his cloak as it flowed behind him like a giant pair of wings. He laughed, relishing in the familiar ephemeral bliss as the treetops approached him like green giants taking him into their leafy arms. Now he just needed to perform a jump before he landed so he would come away with only a scratch on his HP…

All of a sudden, a high-pitched screech shook his ears as a charge of static hit his field of vision. Next moment he found himself falling into the gaping mouth of a giant serpent, the pitch darkness from within its throat reaching out to consume him ——

He heard a faint crack as pain pricked through his neck like sharp shards of glass.

Muffled voices fell from somewhere above him and danced around his ears.

“…Slipped disc… headset…”

“Exacerbated… shock from the ‘fall’…”

“Atem, …hear me? Answer…”

He vaguely felt motion, like his body was being carried by a thousand ants, his arms and legs bumping and scratching off rough surfaces as the frantic creatures hurried him off to somewhere only they would know. Then it all stopped, and the world fell still.

He tried to open his eyes, only managing a crack before blinding light made him blink them shut. It took him an immense amount of effort to force them open again, and a moment to register he was not looking up at blue skies and green trees, but the cold glow of fluorescent lights embedded in a starch white ceiling.

“Where am I…” He croaked, but vaguely sensed that no sound was coming out of his throat. He tried to move his fingers, only to realise he couldn’t feel most of his body.

_Crack…_

Yet another faint noise, somewhat like the crunching of a dried branch just before it snapped. Atem realised with a pang of fear that the sound was coming from right behind his ears.

“Help…me…”

He made another attempt to make a sound, only to feel his throat closing in from an increasingly painful pressure. His vision was rotating slowly, and he caught a glimpse of his arm – he realised he shouldn’t be able to see his own arm from this angle.

_Help me…_

He finally heard his own voice, but it came out like the hiss of a snake. He struggled to look down, and saw what seemed to be the smooth coil of a python’s body wrapping around his neck, its pitch black scales bouncing threads of lifeless white beams into his eyes.

_CRACK——_

Atem woke with a start. He tried to move his fingers, immediately relieved to find them answering to his command. His palm slid across a smooth expanse of faux leather. Warm light flooded his vision, and he took a moment to recognise its source as the ceiling light in his room.

“Ugh…” He brought a hand up to his face as he sank back into the cushions of his chair. It seems he fell asleep at his desk.

“Atem, can you hear me? They’re almost here!” Yugi’s voice rang from downstairs, startling him back to his senses.

“Right, Aibou… I’ll be down in a second!”

Atem got out of his chair, blinking out the remainder of sleep from his eyes as he changed into a fresh shirt, tossing the sweat-drenched one into the laundry. The strange dream left an unpleasant feeling hanging all over his body, but it also carried back a scrap of something he thought he’d long since forgotten… He chuckled to himself, brushing a finger off his cheek as he remembered the rush of air that blew past his face.

He used to be a god of the skies… though now he’s embarrassingly scared of heights.

He walked down the stairs just as Yugi emerged from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. “Sorry about the short notice… it sounded like an emergency and I couldn’t turn them down,” He shot Atem an apologetic smile.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Aibou,” Atem shrugged, “It’s not like I don’t know them already.”

The doorbell rang, and Atem went ahead to get it. The door opened to reveal the form of a tall brunette, peering down at Atem with his perpetually frigid blue eyes.

“…Hey.”

Kaiba was wearing a slim woollen coat over a black turtleneck and dark grey jeans. A single pink petal from a cherry blossom had fallen on his shoulder. Atem instinctively reached up to brush it away, earning himself a quizzical gaze.

“Thanks for taking us in, Yugi! Saved our tails,” A raven-haired teen popped out from behind Kaiba, greeting Atem with a wave. “Hey Atem, ’sup?”

Atem stared in a moment of confusion at the tall teen standing at hardly an inch shy of Kaiba’s altitude. His unruly black curls were trimmed back to fall just beneath his ears, warm grey eyes drawn up at the edges and meeting Atem with a familiar smile.

“You’re…”

“Geez, Atem-nii, have you forgotten about me already?” The teen puffed up his cheeks in a childish pout.

“Mokuba…” Atem called hesitantly. “You’re… big.”

“20-year-old kids these days are all around this size,” Mokuba smirked.

Atem blinked furiously. Twenty…?

“Oh, I made most of my game characters look like me when I was 11 because people are exponentially more susceptible to puppy eyes from minors half their size,” Mokuba supplied. “Besides, I’m always a kid in Niisama’s book.”

“You _are_ one,” Kaiba snapped.

“Mokuba’s 22, my Domino U. kouhai,” Yugi supplied. “Come on boys, don’t stand around at the door. Lunch is almost ready.”

“Geez Yugi, you made us food? Stop being so nice!” Mokuba exclaimed, “Can I call you Mom?”

“Don’t you dare.”

“– I told you we’ll be fine just switching to a new hotel, Mokuba…” Kaiba grumbled as they stepped into the hallway, “We don’t need to be disturbing ordinary citizens like this.”

“Doma was _this_ close to tracking down our origin IP yesterday,” Mokuba pinched two fingers together as he shot back, “These _ordinary citizens_ are the only ones in town right now who could provide us with a sufficiently encrypted internet connection.”

“Hmph. A freelance game storyboard writer and a Yu★Tube influencer,” Kaiba sniffed. “And where’s the ex-legendary pro gamer you were talking about?” He looked around for a moment, then his eyes turned sharply to fall back on Atem.

“Horakhty.”

“Huh?” Atem answered intelligently.

“Atem Mutou.” Kaiba easily towered over Atem, pinning him down with his piercing gaze. “…You’re Horakhty.”

“Uh – yes? ...May I help you?” Atem blinked again. Blimey, was it just him, or had he been hearing this old ID a lot lately?

“…You won’t believe it, but Niisama happens to be a huuuuge fan of yours,” Mokuba chirped through a mouth full of beef, “He’s probably watched every single one of your tournament vids.”

“The performance of top-tier competitive players is an invaluable source of information to a developer,” Kaiba snapped.

“Oh yeah? But ‘Horakhty’s _different_. There’s no other player who executes such flawless strategy, fluently using his profound understanding of the game environment and masterful control of his character to surprise his enemies, turning the tides in even the most unimaginable situation’… You totally threw a tantrum when Atem retired. – This hamburg steak is top tier, Yugi. How did you know I loved these?”

“So that’s the full story behind the promo key you gave me… you were setting up a speed date for your Niisama,” Yugi observed. “I’d get angry, Mokuba – my Nii-san would think I was in on it.”

“Dude, no fair, you _were_ in on it!” Mokuba cried indignantly.

Atem smiled at the friendly banter going back and forth at the table. Mokuba seemed to be an instant fan of Yugi’s cooking, stuffing his face with minced meat by the spoonful and somehow still managing to maintain a lively and mostly coherent stream of chatter. Atem glanced at Kaiba at the seat across from him. He couldn’t help but notice the taller man had barely touched his plate. He looked up to find Kaiba watching him, blue eyes locked on him with the same intense gaze as earlier.

——It was one thing to make a promise from inside a game, and another to come to terms he’s actually having two cyberterrorists coming to take refuge under his roof… although in truth Atem had trouble feeling as alarmed as he should be for the potential consequences of this arrangement. He was more surprised how Kaiba seemed quite strait-laced about receiving charity from others, given his downright unscrupulous reputation as an entrepreneur.

In any case, Atem figured it was his job as the host to make his guest feel at ease.

“What’s wrong, sexy?” He asked, “Do you not find this civilian catering to your tastes?”

“I…have a small appetite,” Kaiba said distractedly. Atem raised his brow – an obvious lie.

“…Atem. …How’s your neck?”

“…The slipped disc? I’m all healed after the surgery,” Atem shrugged.

“I heard you were also experiencing psychosomatic paralysis in your limbs…”

“I’ve gotten over the worst of it,” Atem put up his hands and wiggled his fingers to prove they’re fully functional, “Just can’t go wild when playing games like I used to.”

“……”

They fell into a moment of awkward silence.

“… So how’s the ‘project’ going along?” Yugi’s voice floated in from Atem’s side. “The two of you must be making some solid progress for Doma to launch an official manhunt.”

“We’re counting down to our dive into the main server,” Mokuba replied, “The bugs are all lined up and ready to dance. Though we lost Rosencreuz – Niisama’s dragon NPC character – from that fiasco the other day, and he had the best mobility among our accounts… that sets us back a bit until we find a workaround.”

“I’ve set up our games room for you,” Yugi supplied. “I’ll just need a minute to hook your devices up to our VPN.”

“Thank you,” Kaiba said.

“Aww _but Niisama_ , I wanted to check out Yugi’s game collection first,” Mokuba whined. “Grinding LWD for days on end is extinguishing the light in my soul.”

“Shut up, Mokuba, we’re not here to play games,” Kaiba snapped.

“Ooh… says the very busy person who was knocking up his date in a deserted alley when he thinks his baby brother wasn’t looking,” Mokuba stuck out his tongue.

“You little…” The sharp flush was immediately evident on Kaiba’s pale face. “I refused to be blackmailed by my own brother.”

“You’re not getting blackmailed, man – I’m just politely suggesting you could be nicer to your poor overworked baby brother.”

“Fine, you can play all the games you want. I’m disowning you.”

“So mean! Whatever, I’m sure Yugi won’t mind having a new sibling. He’ll be a muuuch nicer big bro, the kind that treats me to chocolate parfait.”

“I’d like to hear you say that one more time, Mokuba.”

“Sure, why not? I know you love me too, Seto.” Mokuba smirked, batting his lashes over his impossibly big grey eyes. Kaiba fumed.

“Speaking which, how was the sex?” Mokuba turned his crafty gaze over to Atem.

“Small children like you shouldn’t be asking questions like that,” Atem replied smoothly.

“Geez, I can’t believe you two are complicit already,” Mokuba threw up his arms, “Seems like my speed dating plan was a grand success!”

Atem was halfway through typing up his daily blog post when his back pricked with the distinct feeling that he was being watched.

He wheeled around.

“K-Kaiba! What the f- you scared the living hell out of me!”

Kaiba didn’t answer, but stared Atem down with such intensity that Atem wondered if that crazy IGN from a few days ago was still hanging over his head.

“Um… So… how did the setup go?”

“We’re not logging into LWD today,” Kaiba replied stiffly. “Mokuba’s playing through your brother’s game collection.”

“Oh…”

Another awkward silence befell them, Kaiba standing still as a log at Atem’s door and Atem shifting uneasily in his seat.

“…Do you hate me?”

Atem looked up, wildly confused. “Why would you suggest that?”

Kaiba’s gaze fell to Atem’s side. Atem took a moment to realise he was looking at the neck brace sitting on his desk. Suddenly he understood.

“Your neck injury was largely due to a design defect in the first gen. Solid Vision headsets,” Kaiba exploded, his voice laced with urgency. “It only affected a handful of users with very specific gaming habits – you were in fact the only case we were aware of that came up with serious medical implications. We paid you off to keep your silence about the details of your condition, so the rest of the world was happily ignorant and the project continued largely unaffected. We –” Kaiba paused, sucking in a forceful breath. “…I’m the one who’s responsible for you losing your career as a pro gamer. I’m the one who broke your wings, Horakhty.”

Atem sighed. “…It’s all past, Kaiba. Water under the bridge.”

“I. Don’t. Understand. How. You. Could. Be. So. Calm,” Kaiba bit out.

Atem studied him. Kaiba’s fists were clenched to his sides, his lips pulled into a thin line. He seemed to have calmed down, but Atem could see the storm still brewing in the fathoms of his blue eyes.

For such a brilliant mind, was Kaiba simply that stubborn? No… there’s a little more to it.

Atem mulled over his words.

“I know you’re filthy rich, but do you want me to sue you that badly?” He supplied.

“If that’s what… No! _Are you taking me for a joke?”_ Kaiba hissed.

“Then are you taking pity on a poor, disabled ex-pro gamer?”

_“I know better than to insult you like that!!”_

“Then listen, Kaiba,” Atem said. “Misfortunes or not, you’re the last person I would blame. The Solid Vision project is the whole reason I’m where I am… You’re the one who gave me wings in the first place.”

Kaiba’s eyes were wide with disbelief. Atem watch his hands clench and unclench, then fall back to his sides.

“I’ve seen breathtaking views from the top… ones that nobody else has seen…” Atem smiled. “And I may have tarnished my feathers, but I haven’t lost them yet.”

Kaiba looked down to the side.

“…You’re a mystery, Atem.”

“You just don’t know me well enough.”

Atem took one glance at his unfinished blog post. This isn’t going to get done today.

“…We both need to unwind a bit,” He closed his browser and got out of his chair. “I’m due for my training today. Would you care to join me?”

“So, you kept with your physical training even after being retired for two years.”

Atem spared a glance at Kaiba. – He seems to be back to his usual taunting, sneering self. What a relief.

“Quite like how you’ve kept ‘playing games’ after you’ve been laid off,” He replied, before landing another dozen punches on the heavy bag.

“You’re thinking of returning to the pro league?”

“No, I just like to keep fit.”

Kaiba was smiling again, a small, thoughtful curve to his lips.

“You do know that physical fitness is not a hard requirement for character prowess in NIVR, don’t you?”

Atem observed Kaiba from the corner of his eyes. – Of course. Now that he had come to think about it, the other day in the game he had felt a raw power emanating off Rosenkreuz’s character – and his experience told him it couldn’t entirely be explained by decked out stats or practical proficiency.

NIVR games converted motor commands from the brain to character action – which necessarily included fantastical feats like wielding logic-defying weapons and conjuring magic. It would be more accurate to say a game character’s power was determined by the player’s image of themselves and their capabilities. A solid way to improve this image is by undergoing real-life physical training, honing strength and combat skill into one’s reflexes. On the other hand, if a player had an unwavering belief that they can lift impossibly heavy objects or breathe fire, then the power is theirs.

Atem won’t be the least surprised if Kaiba had inflated his character’s power to its limit with nothing but the sheer force of his ego.

“I know,” Atem replied. “I know… yet I still train. That’s why I was the best of them all.” He finished his bout with a solid snapping punch, the crisp sound of the blow reverberating around the room.

“Hmph,” Kaiba’s smile widened. “Nothing less from you, Horakhty.”

“It feels good to know you’re able to throw a hook at an asshole whenever you need to, in game or out,” Atem smirked.

He eyed Kaiba up and down, noting the beautiful set of abs showing through the tight fabric of his turtleneck. He had a flying suspicion that this asshole in particular could put up a pretty good fight.

“Would you like to try my special training drill?” He offered. “I added a reaction time element to train for my agility spec. Basically, holographic stars will start appearing at your eye level, you hit them before they disappear. One minute, 200 stars. My record just now with the handicap from talking to you was 86%.”

“Is that a challenge?” Kaiba perked up immediately. “You’re on.”

“Nothing less from you, Seto Kaiba,” Atem laughed. “I’ll go get you gloves.”

It took just a smooth round of bickering to get Kaiba geared up and ready (“I assume it’s not your first time hitting a heavy bag – you know how to do it?” “Done quite a bit a year ago, all came back to me from watching you just now. … Hn, you’re skeptical.” “…No, I believe you. Do you want me to help wrap your hands?” “If you insist.” “Answer with yes or no, Kaiba.” “Yes, if doing so pleases you. …It will please me. … _Yes, please!! Fuck you…_ ” “Okay, try these gloves – they’re for a friend of mine, should be close to your size.” “*sniff* I smell mutt.” “Take it or leave it!” “I’ll leave it. …Unless you tell me in a tender voice you couldn’t bear seeing your precious Seto hitting the bag with his bare fists.” “…Seto Kaiba, put on the damn gloves or I’ll hook you in the face and I swear to Ra, I’ll break your nose.” “… How passionate.” “You don’t want to find out how passionate I could get. Here, try these shoes too, though I can’t care less if you want to go in barefoot.” “Hmph.” “Hey – seriously, take it easy first time around, okay? The last thing I want is you hurting yourself.” “To assume I’d be foolish enough to hurt myself is one of the greatest insults you could possibly give me.” “…You’re really a difficult man to love, you know that?” “Hmm, that’s funny. I find it very easy to love myself.”)

“I’m ready,” Kaiba said, hopping lightly on his feet and fixing the bag with his signature murder gaze.

“Alright, start in 3,2,1…go!”

Atem stood at ease, closely watching Kaiba’s every move. He knew not to try and expect what Kaiba could do – it proved a wise choice.

Position, footwork, rhythm… he may not be professional, but his technique was immaculate. Textbook. …It was almost as if the man was a machine.

The only thing that suggested otherwise were his eyes – those cool blue irises were now blazing with a deadly flame, ruthlessly incinerating all that came to its touch.

He was an engine poised to kill.

Atem couldn’t help but wonder who Kaiba saw when he threw his merciless jabs. Doma? Or his own fortunes that pulled an ugly jest at him?

No matter the case, there was one thing that came clear to him – Kaiba lived by these flames. His blazing fury was what fuelled him on, resurrecting him from the ashes, carrying him up to the clouds where he would command thunder and lightning.

But this revelation also threw Atem into a pool of cold dread. – There was not a fire on Earth that did not extinguish when there’s nothing left to feed it. What would happen when Kaiba’s flames burned him out? For a moment, all Atem could see was the dragon lying in embers that could no longer light a fire, his body slowly embracing a frigid death…

“——HAH!!”

A particularly spirited shout shook Atem out of his nightmarish reverie. He looked up to meet Kaiba’s eyes. The fiendish flare from earlier had died down, but instead of returning to their usual coldness, the blue depths were still emanating warmth like a vibrantly burning hearth.

Kaiba had fallen back to resting position, still hopping on his feet to keep mobile, fists poised at chest level ready to strike.

“92%” He smirked. “Do you want a rematch?”

They took turns on the bag, running a few more of Atem’s drill, then some regular bouts.

Atem was waiting for Kaiba to run out of steam, but somehow he never did.

“Okay, 36 bouts, that’s where I usually call it a day…” He heard a thump, and realised it was Kaiba collapsing on an exercise mat, gulping down bottled water like a man just out of a desert.

“Ugh… my arms will kill me tomorrow,” He grunted.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been pushing yourself all this time,” Atem said.

Kaiba shrugged. “…Somehow I just didn’t want to throw in the towel in front of you.”

Atem lauged, shaking his head. “Here, do you want me to give you a massage?”

…

He took off Kaiba’s gloves, taking a moment to undo the wraps on his hands. Then starting with the right, Atem knead in between Kaiba’s impossibly long fingers, settling into a steady rhythm.

He couldn’t help but notice how beautiful Kaiba’s hands were… wide palm, pale, slender digits with defined joints, pink nails neatly trimmed back to the flesh… Atem wondered if these hands played the piano, or some other instrument. _They would look ravishing._

Kaiba’s eyes were on him the whole time, quietly observant. The small, warm flames cackled away in the blue hearths.

Atem continued to work his way up Kaiba’s arms, then made around to work on his back.

“Relax, Kaiba,” He tapped the man’s shoulder, “You’re getting a little stiff.”

“… That’s good enough, Atem. You can leave it here.”

“But I’m not done yet,” Atem blinked. Then realisation dawned, and he threaded his arms around Kaiba’s neck.

“Someone’s getting horny?” He whispered to the back of Kaiba’s ear.

A firm grip landed on Atem’s wrist, but it seemed Kaiba couldn’t decide whether to keep it close or pull it aside.

“Atem… what are you trying to do?”

“Seduce you, of course,” Atem grinned coyly. “We made a promise for a ‘rematch’ the other day, remember?”

“…Are you being serious?”

“Why, were you not serious?”

“…Atem, listen.” – Atem felt the grip on his wrist tighten. “– You have to understand. …The other day I – used you. And today I just found out you were that one professional player I had ever respected… the one I fixed my eyes on for years. …I have nothing but ulterior motives on you, Atem.”

“Hmm, then I might add to the list with a sin of my own… for fucking a fan,” Atem mused.

“You never listen to what other people have to say, do you?!”

“Not when they’re spouting nonsense.”

Next moment Atem’s back was against the wall, Kaiba’s form towering over his. Their lips sealed together.

“Mmph…”

Atem’s hands fell on the back of Kaiba’s head, pulling him closer, fingers threading between the wet brown strands. He smelled a whiff of dark, piney incense, like damp wood drying beside a fireplace. The scent grew stronger the more he sank into the kiss, flooding his senses and intoxicating him.

“This is your ace strategy, isn’t it?” Kaiba breathed, “Diving to the back of your opponent’s defences, hitting them where they least expect it.”

“Congratulations, you learned something new about me,” Atem hummed, falling back to take a moment to observe his captive. Kiss-swollen lips, lust-clouded eyes… he’s right where Atem wanted him. “…Now it’s time I learn a thing or two about you.”

He slid his hands down across the broad expanse of Kaiba’s back, noting a small shiver as his fingers slipped between the shoulder blades. He reached down to the waistline, tugging at the hem of Kaiba’s shirt.

“May I?”

Kaiba paused for a moment longer than he expected.

“Suit yourself.”

Atem pulled Kaiba’s turtleneck up by the hem, peeling the smooth fabric off sweat-dampened skin and pulling it over Kaiba’s head. His eyes widened in shock at what he found underneath.

There wasn’t an inch of skin he uncovered that wasn’t covered in scars. Cuts, whip marks, burns... They were all old scars, fully healed and may not even be visible from a distance, but the sheer number made Atem’s stomach turn.

He looked up at Kaiba in disbelief.

“I’d prefer you don’t ask about them now,” Kaiba said simply.

Atem instinctively turned his gaze to Kaiba’s left forearm. His heart sank when he saw them – long, thin marks, also fully healed but much more recent than the rest. They crisscrossed not far from the pulse point, but it didn’t seem like the original wound was deep enough to break any major vessels.

The sharp irritation was evident in Kaiba’s voice when he spoke up again.

“Drop it. I’m not that foolish anymore.”

_I don’t believe you’ve gotten a lot smarter,_ Atem thought. But for once, he decided it was wise to follow Kaiba’s wishes and let him be.

He settled for seizing Kaiba’s face, crushing his lips in another smouldering kiss.

The flame had picked up, throwing the smoky smell of embers into the air. A thin sliver of pain cracked on Atem’s lips where the edges of the flame touched them. He tasted blood.

Kaiba eagerly lapped up the beads of coppery liquid that fell out of the torn skin.

Atem let Kaiba push him down on the mat. He gave a small nod when Kaiba’s hands fell on his shirt. He was free from it immediately.

He gasped as Kaiba’s palms roamed down the sides of his torso, setting off a trail of fire on his skin. Kaiba’s kisses followed, travelling like a pious pilgrim up his abdomen and onto his chest. The warm palms wrapped around to Atem’s back, fingers pushing up his spine ridge by ridge until they stopped just below the cervical vertebrae. They paused for awhile, until Atem realised they were waiting for his permission. He gave it with another small nod. Kaiba’s hands started moving again, first hesitantly, then went on to palm the back of Atem’s neck, pulling him in desperately as Kaiba’s kisses reached Atem’s throat. Kaiba’s fingers closed, massaging Atem’s spine until Atem could feel his body melting to the gentle grip. Then Kaiba’s hands swept down Atem’s spine, cupping his shoulder blades and lifting him off the mat.

“Mm…”

Atem instinctively lifted one hand to rest on Kaiba’s hips, tracing the puckered edges of a scar. All of a sudden, he felt his weight drop to land back on the training mat with a thud. He looked to the side to see his wrists pinned down firmly to the ground.

He looked back up at Kaiba. The blue flames have fallen into turmoil, as if a bucket of water had been thrown into their midst.

_You won’t let me touch you?_ Atem asked with his eyes. Kaiba met his gaze, suddenly looking terribly vulnerable as bursts of fear and confusion danced across the azure blaze. But the confusion lingered for a moment before the flames settled back down, and Kaiba loosened his grip around Atem’s wrists. Atem took the opportunity to catch Kaiba’s hands in his own, lacing their fingers together. Then slowly, he lifted Kaiba’s left hand and brought it up to his lips. He gave Kaiba a querying gaze, before pressing a kiss to the pale knuckles.

He heard a soft sigh. The blue eyes blinked once, then clouded over with a veil of steam.

He guided Kaiba’s hands back to his shoulders, fingers passing ever so lightly over the row of scars below the left wrist. He slipped his hands under Kaiba’s arms to rest on his back, this time meeting little resistance. Kaiba’s hands returned to roaming his body, but this time they handled him far more roughly than before, as if taking a small revenge. Atem cried out when Kaiba’s lips returned to his chest, laced with an edge of teeth.

Kaiba’s hands travelled down to Atem’s hips, fingers hooking on the waistband of his leggings. Atem gave another nod, then kicked off his shoes just in time before his pants and underwear were pulled clean off his legs. He moaned aloud as Kaiba’s hands slipped between his thighs, grazing the bottom of his sac.

The warm hands travelled along the edge of his pelvis, riding up to pause on his hipbones. Then Kaiba broke their wordless spell with a sly jeer.

“Hmm… you were awfully honest with your model.”

Atem looked down to find Kaiba observing his half-erect member with interest.

“Do you have a problem with it?” He hissed indignantly.

“No… absolutely not.”

That was the only warning before Kaiba sank down to take Atem’s erection into his mouth. Atem’s head snapped back, a cry scrambling out of his throat as Kaiba’s tongue dragged along the bottom of his shaft and lapped around his head.

“Do you ’ave any lube?” Kaiba said, his voice muffled between sucks.

“Thought you’d… never ask…” Atem gasped, fingers fumbling to drag over his equipment bag, finding the small bottle at the bottom.

“You’re prepared,” Kaiba mused.

“Just shut up and feel immeasurably honoured I’m so eager to have you fuck me ag – _AAAHHH!!_ ”

Atem screamed as slick fingers pushed past the ring of muscles at his entrance, just as the tip of his member hit the back of Kaiba’s throat. He felt Kaiba choking on his precum, his convulsing throat massaging Atem’s member and melting Atem’s spine into a flaccid mess. Atem jerked his hips, blissfully confused for a moment whether to push deeper into the glorious wet cavern, or pull back to take in the long digits brushing maddeningly gentle strokes over his prostate. His hands shot down to grab a handful of Kaiba’s hair, fingers closing in what must have been a painful yank. But Kaiba’s only response was sucking in his cheeks, bobbing up and down Atem’s shaft with increased vigour.

_Gods… this will be the end of me._ Atem let out another wail when Kaiba deepthroated him again. A hot white blaze shot across Atem’s eyes, and when they cleared away, Atem found himself staring down at Kaiba’s deliciously flushed face, tinged cheeks and puffy lips dripping with a rude splash of semen.

“Kaiba… _fuck…”_ Atem gasped, feeling his whole body shake from the lingering force of his orgasm.

“Fuck indeed… it’s my turn,” Kaiba whispered with a coy smile.

A fresh thrill danced down Atem’s spine as he watched Kaiba pull his own pants down to the thighs. Then the edges of his lips jerked up involuntarily.

“…Heh…”

The vindictive rays shooting from Kaiba’s eyes only served to make Atem’s throat bubble over with laughter.

“…You’re smaller than me…”

“You have a problem?” Kaiba hissed, voice dipping low in threat.

“No… it’s more than enough…” Atem laughed, pulling Kaiba in and grazing his lips on Kaiba’s nose, “…Give it to me. Fuck me. _Destroy me.”_

Kaiba gave a predatory growl, echoing from the bottom of his throat. Atem braced himself as he was penetrated in a clean thrust.

Kaiba was by no means small – bigger than most, in fact – Atem was almost certain. Certainly nowhere as large as his virtual self, and Atem couldn’t help but wonder what mindboggling physics were at work for him to take that monster, when he was already stretched to the brim with Kaiba’s regular size.

_“Aaahhh…”_

Atem decided to throw the irrelevant thoughts down the drain as Kaiba’s tip rubbed firmly past his prostate.

He eagerly wrapped his legs around Kaiba’s hips as Kaiba’s hands braced his shoulders, holding him in place as the forceful thrusts ground him into the mat.

“Kaiba – aaahhh…” Atem gasped, the pads of his fingers slipping on Kaiba’s back, bumping over the raised scars. Searing heat climbed up his legs, enveloped his thighs, then rushed up to his stomach, and he heard the crackling and chipping of his bones as they dissolved into the flames.

“Kaiba… _yes… give it to me…”_

Kaiba wrapped his arms around Atem, palms pressing firmly on the blades of his shoulder, lifting him up once again.

_“I’ll give you all of me… take it…”_

Atem gave in completely as Kaiba thrust into him one last time. Then came the sheer bliss of being filled, the warm swell running all the way up to his intestines.

“ _Nggh…”_

Kaiba held him still for a while. Atem blushed a little at the thought of receiving every last drop of Kaiba’s seed.

Then Kaiba pulled out of him, and Atem’s blush deepened as he felt a slick stream rush out of his orifice, dribbling down the crack of his ass.

He found Kaiba looking down at him, his eyes passionately possessive as they grazed his body from head to toe. He shivered.

Then Kaiba’s warmth returned, his face burying into the crook of Atem’s neck and his weight falling on Atem with little reserve. Atem let out a small moan as their spent members pressed together.

Kaiba’s arms wrapped around him again. They slowly closed in with such force that for a moment Atem was certain he was going to be crushed into the embrace.

He closed his eyes.

A small tinge in the back of his neck. He heard the soft hiss of a snake as something cold slithered past his fingertips. Then a thin thread of fear crept up his spine as he felt the coldness trickle along his fingers, spreading numbness all the way up to his wrists.

“How does it feel like to die?”

Atem’s eyes snapped open again with a start.

Kaiba’s forehead was still pressed against his shoulder. He looked around, almost expecting to see the tail of a snake slipping out of sight, but saw none.

He tried to move his fingers, relieved to find them responsive. He brought them up to rest on the back of Kaiba’s head.

_What’s wrong?_

Kaiba responded by closing his arms even further, only loosening his grip when Atem gave a small noise of protest. He didn’t move for another while. Then just as Atem was starting to worry, he let out a small breath –

“…I died once. …It was cold. …Everything was torn out of my hands… I couldn’t feel anything… not even pain…”

Atem felt Kaiba’s left hand slide across his shoulder blades. He was reminded of the scars lacing the slender wrist.

“…Then there’s this one other time… I thought I killed you…”

Kaiba’s voice cracked.

“When I was at my limit – I thought of joining you. …Isn’t it funny? I didn’t know where you are, what you’ve become… in fact I was fairly convinced I had killed you with my own two hands… but all I knew was whenever I thought of you, I feel warmth again. I feel like I’m bathed in the sun, and I remember the time when I still had everything, when everything was all right. …I would have gladly died just to reach your side and throw myself into your radiant light…”

Atem threw his arms around Kaiba’s shoulders.

“I’m here.”

He frowned in confusion when Kaiba’s throat bubbled with a chuckle.

“…The ‘you’ I was looking for was a metaphorical figure, not the real thing… Why would I kill myself if what I wanted was a real live human being? I could just doxx you and kick down your door.”

_“You – ”_ Atem growled in disbelief.

“– But I’m glad I found you.” Kaiba’s hands slid up to Atem’s shoulders, giving them a firm squeeze, “Alive and thriving.” He sucked in a deep breath. “…Stay with me.”

Atem sighed, giving Kaiba a firm squeeze in return.

“…I will.”

“…Well then, let’s celebrate the happy reunion with chocolate parfait.”

“…Hmm?” Kaiba shifted. “Did you say something about dessert, Atem? Your voice sounds funny.”

“I’m Yugi.”

Atem distinctly felt Kaiba jump out of his skin. But he didn’t have the mind to be amused as he fumbled to grab for their clothes.

“Relax, I can’t see you,” Yugi’s voice floated in from the open door, “Just came by to check if both of you are still alive. I made chocolate parfait, if you would be kind enough to present yourselves in the kitchen at your earliest convenience.”

“R-right away, Aibou!” Atem struggled to push Kaiba off him, only to be crushed by the taller man’s weight. He tapped Kaiba’s shoulder in exasperation. “Hey, I’m not leaving you. Come with me, okay?”

Kaiba grumbled aloud, sounding patently like a spoiled child promised sweets to end his tantrum.

“…Fine.”

\------

【Traveller’s Guide – Appendix (2)】

KaibaCorp (KC): Former arms manufacturer converted to video games company, currently a subsidiary of Doma Foundation.

Seto Kaiba, KC’s former CEO and largest stakeholder, initiated KC’s conversion to games immediately after he inherited the company from his adoptive father, Gozaburo Kaiba. A partnership with Industrial Illusions brought KC to the frontline of the rapidly emerging NIVR scene, increasing the company’s value by tenfolds overnight. KC soon established itself as a leading giant in the gaming industry, its consoles becoming standard equipment for VR gamers around the world and its games pulling in billions of dollars a year.

It was an open secret that Seto Kaiba was not on good terms with his late adoptive father. There were even rumours that Seto was implicated in Gozaburo’s death by suicide, substantiated by the fact that Seto’s first order of business after taking over the company was selling all of KC’s former weapon manufacturers at dirt price, mercilessly scrapping his adoptive father’s legacy to build his new empire from the ground.


End file.
